At the approve of the Russian commemorations of the 80th anniversary of the victory against Nazi Germany, kyiv warns Moscow, who replies.
Between Ukraine and Russia, tension does not fall. This Saturday, May 3, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that kyiv could not guarantee “the security” of international leaders who will be present in Moscow on May 9 at the 80th anniversary celebrations against Nazi Germany.
“We do not know what Russia will do on this date. It could take different measures, such as fires, explosions, and then accuse us,” he said, while the leaders of around twenty countries must stand alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 9.
Among them, his Chinese counterparts Xi Jinping and Brazilian Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva, as well as those of traditional Allies of Russia such as Kazakhstan, Belarus, Armenia, Cuba or Venezuela.
“Sacred day”
In the process, Russia accused Volodymyr Zelensky of threatening the security of its commemorations of the Second World War on May 9.
“He threatens the physical security of the veterans who will come to the parades and celebrations of this sacred day,” castigated the spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, on Telegram. “His statement (…) is of course, a direct threat”.
“Impossible to get along”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he refused to “play” with the short trurs of his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, one of which during the commemorations of the Second World War in Moscow, seeing too short deadlines for serious talks.
-The Kremlin, for its part, assured that this cease-fire, proposed by Vladimir Putin from May 8 to 10, would allow “testing” the disposition of kyiv to peace. “It is impossible to agree on something in three, five or seven days. Let’s be honest. It is a theatrical performance on his part. In two or three days, it is impossible to find a plan to establish the next steps to finish the war. It does not seem serious,” said Volodymyr Zelensky.
However, he did not clearly say that kyiv rejected this three -day truce proposed by Moscow on the occasion of the celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the victory against Nazi Germany. The Ukrainian leader spoke Friday evening in front of journalists, including those of AFP. These statements were under embargo until Saturday.
Easter truce
Separate discussions between Moscow and kyiv, led by Washington, have been extended for more than two months and are struggling, for the time being, to achieve results to find an outcome to the conflict triggered by the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Vladimir Putin had already decreed a short ceasefire during the Easter weekend in April, Be fully respected by the two camps.
“The objective of the Easter truce proposed by Russia (in April, editor’s note), as well as the current initiative to declare a truce during the celebrations of May 8, 9 and 10, is to test the disposition of kyiv to find a path for long-term lasting peace,” the spokesperson for the Russian presidency, Dmitri Peskov, said on Saturday.
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kyiv asks for “a total and unconditional ceasefire” as a prerequisite for any negotiation with Russia, which repeats that it is ready to negotiate with Ukraine, but is however reluctant on a prolonged truce. Because Moscow, whose army currently has the advantage on the front, says it fears that a cease-fire will allow kyiv to regain strength, with the military support of his allies.
In Ukraine, the announcement by Vladimir Putin of this truce was perceived by observers as a means of preventing Ukrainian strikes that can potentially disturb ceremonies. kyiv regularly hits targets in Russia with his long -range drones, who have also touched Moscow several times, in response to Russian bombings that have been ravaging his territory for more than three years.
