KYIV: Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s request for a brief ceasefire has been written off by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as merely a show.
According to him, Ukraine is open to a true, long-term peace, not a three-day break designed to give Russia a positive image for its May 9 festivities.
Moscow said that the truce, which would take place on May 9 in conjunction with its World War II commemorations, was intended to gauge Kyiv’s “readiness” for lasting peace. Zelensky was also charged with posing a “direct threat” to the holiday’s activities.
In March, Kyiv and Washington suggested an unconditional 30-day truce, which the Kremlin rejected. Since then, Putin has made few concessions to halt the Russian invasion, which has lasted three years.
