Zelenskyy Calls Russian Ceasefire Proposal ‘Foolish’: A 2-3 Day Truce

In response to Russia’s proposal for a brief ceasefire in certain areas of the front, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described it as foolish. “They talk about a ceasefire, and they are ready for a two or three-day truce just to collect the dead from the battlefield in Ukraine,” Zelenskyy remarked during a press briefing. He emphasized that such a truce aims to ensure there are no casualties, questioning the logic behind this short pause in the war. According to the Ukrainian agency UNIAN, Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine has not altered its stance on ceasefires, which should be unconditional, involve prisoner exchanges, and include the return of children and civilians. However, he noted that there appears to be no possibility of a ceasefire from the Russian side. Furthermore, Zelenskyy urged the U.S. to impose strong sanctions on Russia to pressure them into a ceasefire. He criticized what he called Russia’s ‘two or three-day game,’ describing those involved in negotiations, like Vladimir Medinsky, as ‘people of the wrong level.’ Zelenskyy also pointed out that while Russia proposes a ceasefire in some areas, the war continues elsewhere with attacks on civilian infrastructure and citizens. Meanwhile, Russia demands that Ukrainian forces withdraw from Russian territory and regions including Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia within 30 days for any potential ceasefire to occur.