Zelenskyy Proposes Immediate 30-day Ceasefire

The President of Ukraine has commented on Russia's proposal for a temporary ceasefire, Orda.kz reports.

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a ceasefire in honor of the Victory anniversary — from midnight on May 8 to midnight on May 11.

As The Kyiv Independent reports, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called it an "attempt at manipulation" and emphasized that Ukraine had already agreed to the American initiative for a comprehensive ceasefire in March. 

According to him, there is no need to wait until May 8 to stop the fighting.

We value human lives, not parades. The ceasefire must be immediate, complete and unconditional – for at least 30 days. This is the basis for real diplomacy,
Zelenskyy said. 

Putin had previously declared an Easter truce — from 18:00 on April 19 to midnight on April 21 — during which both sides accused each other of violating the agreements.

Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha also commented on Putin’s new proposal:

If Russia truly wants peace, it must cease fire immediately. Why wait until May 8? It can be done right now, starting from any date, for 30 days — to make it real, not just for a parade,
Sibiga said. 

He added that Ukraine is ready to support a long-term, reliable, and complete ceasefire, proposing a truce lasting at least a month.

Meanwhile, on April 27, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and emphasized "the need to end the war now," U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said on April 28.

According to Bruce, following U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff’s April 25 visit to Moscow, where he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Rubio outlined to Lavrov the next steps in the peace talks and stressed the urgency of ending the war.

Rubio’s conversation with Lavrov was initiated at the Russian side’s request. Bruce added that the "United States is serious about facilitating an end to this senseless war."

On April 26, U.S. President Donald Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Vatican during the funeral of Pope Francis, as diplomatic efforts continued to secure a ceasefire.

On April 27, Trump stated:

More recently, Emmanuel Macron, President of France, said Western countries would intensify pressure on Russia over the next eight to ten days to achieve a cessation of hostilities.

Original Author: Rustam Muratov