He slammed the dictator’s rhetoric as not truthful, pointing out that Ukraine had agreed to a ceasefire as early as March, while Russia rejected it.
“Putin’s attempt to ‘pass the peacekeeping ball’ is purely an informational tactic to shift responsibility for his crimes,” Kovalenko stressed.
He added that Russia’s actions — continued military advances on the front and ongoing airstrikes — contradict any peace talks.
“Still, Kremlin propaganda carries Putin’s statements of readiness to the West. It’s all lies, just words and no actions,” he said.
At a press conference with foreign journalists, Putin once again repeated the false claim that Russia “does not strike residential areas,” referring to the June 17 attack on Ukraine that killed 28 people and injured over 140.
Putin also claimed he was willing to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the final stage of negotiations — but refused to recognize Zelenskyy’s legitimacy as a negotiating partner for any agreements.
According to the dictator, another round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine could take place after June 22.