War in Ukraine | Zelensky wants a total ceasefire

(Kyiv) 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.

Posted at 7:57 a.m. Updated at 3:33 p.m.

The Kremlin, for its part, assured that the ceasefire, proposed by Mr. Putin from May 8 to 10, would allow to “test” the arrangement 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 Zelensky.

“No one will help Putin playing this kind of game,” he added, without clearly rejecting this three-day truce offered by Moscow during the 80th anniversary celebrations against Nazi Germany.

The Ukrainian leader spoke Friday evening in front of journalists, including those of AFP. These statements were under embargo until Saturday.

Mr. Zelensky added on Saturday that he did not see any “preparation” from Russia for a longer term ceasefire.

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 Pascal 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, 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,” said spokesman for the Russian presidency, Dmitri Peskov on Saturday during a briefing.

Kyiv asks for “a total and unconditional ceasefire” as prerequisites for any negotiation with Russia, which repeats being ready to negotiate with Ukraine, but is however reluctant on a prolonged truce.

Because Moscow, whose army has the advantage on the front, says it fears that a cease-fire will allow Kyiv to regain strength, with the military support of its allies.

Parade in Moscow

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

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.

Russian diplomacy spokesperson Maria Zakharova denounced these remarks, assuring that Mr. Zelensky was “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.

Kyiv regularly strikes 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.

New night strikes

The White House argued on Monday that Donald Trump wanted a “permanent” ceasefire in Ukraine and not just a temporary truce such as that announced by Moscow.

Volodymyr Zelensky estimated on Friday evening that his meeting with the American president in the Vatican, on April 26, had allowed the latter to “a little differently” the conflict.

After this interview, Kyiv and Washington signed on Wednesday, after weeks of pressure and negotiations, an agreement which plans to give American companies access to the extraction of minerals, oil and gas in Ukraine and to create an investment fund between the two countries.

Its conditions are much more favorable for Kyiv than those of previous version.

However, the text offers no precise security guarantee in Kyiv by Washington, which seeks to reduce its military aid to Ukraine.

Russian shells killed two people in the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine on Saturday, while drone strike in the city of Kherson, southern Ukraine, said another, regional officials said.

Air attacks between the two camps had again occurred overnight from Friday to Saturday.

Russian drones injured 51 civilians in Kharkiv (northeast), the second city in Ukraine, according to the regional prosecutor’s office.

On the Russian side, the authorities denounced a massive Ukrainian attack on the Krasnodar region (southwest), notably on the port of Novorossia, where five people were injured, said mayor Veniamine Kravtchenko.