Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for an immediate, month-long ceasefire after Russian leader Vladimir Putin unilaterally announced a three-day truce next month to mark the anniversary of World War II.
"Now there is a new attempt at manipulation. For some reason, everyone should wait for May 8th and only then introduce a ceasefire so that Putin can have peace during the parade. We value human lives, not parades. We believe that the world also believes that there is no reason to wait for May 8th. The ceasefire should be established immediately and not last just a few days so that the killing can continue later," Zelensky said, according to the Guardian.
Ukrainian officials also recalled that Russia had previously announced a similar ceasefire during Easter, but then violated it.
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Putin proposed a ceasefire in May to mark the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory in World War II, saying Kiev should follow Moscow's example. If both sides stick to the agreement, it would be the first full ceasefire since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began more than three years ago.
Until then, fighting continues, and a series of explosions echoed in Kiev in the early hours of Tuesday morning after the Ukrainian air force issued airstrike warnings for the capital, a Reuters witness reported. The Ukrainian military said air defense systems were trying to repel the airstrike.
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