Ukraine: Zelensky refuses to “play” with the short truces proposed by Putin

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he did not want 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 ceasefire, proposed by Mr. Putin from May 8 to 10, would allow tester kyiv’s disposition 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 seriousand Lancé M. Želensky.

The Ukrainian leader spoke on Friday evening in front of a small group of journalists, including those of theAFP. 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.

Open in full screen

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 offered by Russia [en avril, NDLR]as well as the current initiative to declare a truce during the celebrations of May 8, 9 and 10, is to test the arrangement of kyiv to find a way for a long -term sustainable peacesaid spokesman for the Russian presidency, Dmitri Peskov on Saturday during a briefing.

Zelensky veut A total and unconditional ceasefire

No one will help Putin playing this kind of game to give a gentle atmosphere to its excess isolation on May 9, and make Putin leaders, friends and partners will come to the Red Square, for a reason or another.

Kiev demande 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.

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 Lula Da Silva, thus those of traditional Moscow allies such as Kazakhstan, Belarus, Cuba or Venezuela.

M. Zelensky indicated that Kiev is not guaranteed security leaders present.

We do not know what Russia will do on this date. It could take different measures, such as fires, explosions, and then accuse ourselvesadvanced the Ukrainian president.

Russian diplomacy spokesperson Maria Zakharova then denounced these words, assuring that Mr. Zelensky would utter a direct threat has The physical security of the veterans who will come to the parades and celebrations of this sacred day.

Verbal provocationDit medvedEV

On Telegram, the former Russian president Dmitri Medvedev and current number two of the Security Council, accused Mr. Zelensky de verbal provocation With these statements.

If a real provocation took place on May 9 in Moscow, No one guarantees only May 10 will take place in kyivthreatened Mr. Medvedev, once again waving the spectrum of Russian nuclear bombing in Ukraine.

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.

Ukraine regularly strikes targets in Russia with its long -range drones, which have also touched Moscow several times, in response to the Russian bombing that has been ravaging this country for more than three years.

The White House argued on Monday that Donald Trump wanted a cease-fire permanent in Ukraine and not only a temporary truce such as that announced by Moscow from May 8 to 10.

Open in full screen

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

We had the best conversation compared to all those that took place before. It was perhaps the shortest, but the most substantial.

Their previous meeting, at the end of February at the White House, was marked by a very tense altercation between the two leaders.

After this interview with the Vatican, 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 this country bruised by the war launched by Moscow.

Friday evening, Mr. Zelensky reaffirmed that the agreement was beneficial for both parties and will bring to kyiv fair economic investments which will help him to better defend his territory.

Russian night strikes on Kharkiv

Open in full screen

Drons launched by Russia injured 47 civilians in Kharkiv (northeast), the second city in Ukraine, local police announced on Friday to Saturday.

And Russian local authorities have denounced a massive attack from Ukraine in the Russian region of Krasnodar (southwest) which was four injured.

Hostile attacks on Kharkiv had the consequence of injuring 47 civilianswrote the Ukrainian local police on his Telegram account after the regional governor, Oleg Synegoubov, spoke about fifty people affected, including an 11 -year -old child.

Four city districts (Slobidsky, Saltivsky, Kyivsky and Osnoviansky) were struck. Fires have declared themselves. Residential buildings, civil infrastructure and cars have been damagedadded Mr. Synegoubov.

Kharkiv, located near the Russian border, was the target of incessant attacks throughout the Russian invasion launched in February 2022.

Open in full screen

This raid occurred a few hours after Russian bombing on Zaporijjia (South), in which more than 20 people were injured.

On the Russian side, the regional governor of Krasnodar, Veniamine Kondratiev, announced on Telegram that the Côte de la Mer Noire in the Krasnodar region had been targeted this (Friday) evening by a massive attack on the kyiv regime.

The most serious consequences are in Novorossiysk where three apartment blocks have been damaged and, according to a provisional assessment, four people were injured, two adults and two childrenhe said.

These last strikes occurred after the signing on Wednesday evening in Washington on Wednesday evening of a historic economic agreement between Ukraine and the United States on the exploitation of natural resources of this country at war against Russia.