Zelenskyy labels Putin’s ceasefire comments as mere “bravado”
Pravda Ukraine
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has dismissed Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s claims that he is willing to agree to a ceasefire as “bravado” and said he believes Russia will strive to drag out the peace process
Source: Zelenskyy at a meeting with journalists on 14 March, as quoted by Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne
Quote: “It seems to me that in the reaction we saw from Putin yesterday, there was more bravado… The Russians say, for example, ‘We support a ceasefire, but…’, and then, after the ‘but’, they start coming up with various details to delay the process.”
Details: Zelenskyy believes this is an attempt by Putin to say that Russia “stands for peace”, but on its own terms.
Background:
- On Thursday 13 March, Putin stated that Russia was open to the proposal for a ceasefire in Ukraine but emphasised that it must lead to a lasting peace.
- He outlined several key questions that would need to be addressed as part of such a ceasefire agreement, particularly whether Ukraine will continue to mobilise troops and receive weapons, how issues of monitoring and verification will be handled, and who will determine violations along the 2,000-km front line.
- Zelenskyy believes that Putin is presenting additional conditions for the cessation of hostilities, which he sees as an indication that Putin does not genuinely want to end the war.
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