Ukraine: Zelensky: “It’s a theatrical performance on the part of Putin”

The 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 delays for serious talks. The Kremlin, for its part, assured that this cease-fire, proposed by Vladimir Putin from May 8 to 10, would allow to “test” 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 doesn’t 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. 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 a way out of 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, which had led to a drop in fighting without being fully respected by the two camps. “The objective of the Easter truce proposed by Russia (Editor’s note, in April), 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 sustainable peace,” the spokesperson for the Russian presidency, Dmitri Peskov, said on Saturday, during a brief.

kyiv asks for “a total and unconditional ceasefire” as prerequisites 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.

This year, the leaders of around twenty countries must be held alongside Vladimir Putin on May 9, including Chinese presidents Xi Jinping and Brazilian Luiz Lula Da Silva, thus those of traditional Moscow allies such as Kazakhstan, Belarus, Cuba or Venezuela.

Volodymyr Zelensky said kyiv could not guarantee the “security” of the leaders present. “We don’t know what Russia will do on this date. It could take different measures, such as fires, explosions, and then accuse us, “said the Ukrainian president. The spokesperson for Russian diplomacy, Maria Zakharova, then denounced these remarks, assuring that Volodymyr Zelensky would utter a “direct threat” to “the physical security of the veterans who will come to the parades and celebrations of this sacred day”.

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.