Zelenskyy: Putin rejects US ceasefire proposal by setting impossible conditions

Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to reject a US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine by setting unrealistic demands, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated.

“We have all now heard Russia’s very predictable, very manipulative response to the idea of silence on the front lines – in reality, they are preparing to reject it for now,” Zelenskyy said.

According to the Ukrainian leader, Putin is afraid to tell former US President Donald Trump directly that he intends to continue the war and kill Ukrainians. Instead, Moscow is setting conditions for a truce that ensure “nothing happens or that nothing happens for as long as possible.”

“Putin often does this – he doesn’t say ‘no’ outright, but he delays everything and makes reasonable solutions impossible. We see this as yet another Russian manipulation,” Zelenskyy noted.

He emphasized that the US had proposed overseeing and verifying the ceasefire, which could be effectively organized given American and European capabilities. Such a pause, he said, could provide an opportunity to address long-term security concerns and create a plan for ending the war.

“We are not setting conditions that complicate things – Russia is. As we have always said, the only party dragging things out and acting destructively is Russia. They need this war. Putin has stolen years of peace and continues this war day by day,” Zelenskyy stated.

He stressed the need for increased pressure and sanctions on Russia to force it to end the war.