Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has rejected Russian President Vladimir Putin’s offer of a three-day ceasefire to coincide with Russia’s May 9 World War II victory celebrations, calling it a “theatrical performance” rather than a serious move toward peace.
“This is more of a theatrical performance on his part,” Zelensky told a small group of journalists. “Because in two or three days, it is impossible to develop a plan for the next steps to end the war.”
Kyiv proposed 30-day ceasefire
Zelensky reiterated that Ukraine is prepared for a complete and lasting ceasefire, not a temporary pause that would serve Moscow’s symbolic events.
“Let’s be honest — you can’t agree on anything serious in three, five, or seven days,” he said. “It looks unserious. So that Putin’s guests on Red Square feel comfortable and safe.”
The Kremlin had earlier rejected a joint proposal from Kyiv and Washington for an unconditional 30-day truce made in March. Since then, Putin has offered little movement toward ending the war, now in its third year.
Russia accuses Ukraine of threatening May 9 celebrations
Zelensky’s remarks drew sharp rebukes from Moscow. Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused him of endangering civilians attending May 9 commemorations.
“He is threatening the physical safety of veterans who will come to parades and celebrations on the holy day,” Zakharova said. “His statement… is, of course, a direct threat.”
Zelensky dismissed the idea that Ukraine would guarantee the safety of foreign dignitaries visiting Russia for the parade. “Our position is very simple towards all countries that have travelled or are travelling to Russia on May 9 — we cannot take responsibility for what is happening on the territory of the Russian Federation,” he said.
“They are ensuring your safety,” he added, warning that Russia “may take various steps on its part, such as arson, explosions, and so on and then blame us.”
Fighting continues despite truce talk
Despite talk of a ceasefire, fighting has continued on multiple fronts. Russian shelling killed two people in Ukraine’s Donetsk region on Saturday, and a drone strike on Kherson left one person dead. Russia, in turn, accused Ukraine of striking Novorossiysk, injuring five.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov claimed the three-day ceasefire offer was a test of Kyiv’s commitment to peace. “This is a test to assess Kyiv’s readiness for a long-term, sustainable peace,” he said.
Zelensky says Trump is ‘seeing things differently’
Zelensky also revealed new details about his recent meeting with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of Pope Francis’s funeral at the Vatican. It was their first encounter since a tense on-camera exchange at the White House in February.
“We had the best conversation out of all those that preceded it,” Zelensky said. “I am confident that after our meeting in the Vatican, President Trump began to look at things a little differently.”
Zelensky noted that both leaders agreed a 30-day ceasefire would be the correct first step toward ending the conflict. He also discussed sanctions and the joint US-Ukraine critical minerals investment fund, which now has an even 3-3 representation split between the two nations.
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