Russia will halt hostilities for Victory Day whether or not Ukraine agrees to a temporary ceasefire, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at a press briefing on April 30.
Asked whether Ukraine had responded to the ceasefire proposal, Peskov said a response was not, in fact, required.
This is the head of the Russian state’s decision, and it will be carried out. But of course, everyone would have expected some response from the Kyiv regime indicating appropriate intentions. So far there has been none.
The idea of a Victory Day ceasefire emerged the day before, following a phone call between Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump. Putin aide Yuri Ushakov said the initiative came from Putin and that Trump had actively supported it. Trump himself said it was he who had proposed a brief ceasefire.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine would contact the United States to determine what the proposed ceasefire actually meant — a few hours of safety for a parade in Moscow or something more substantial. He also called on Russia to agree to a long-term ceasefire.
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