“They [Russia] want the parade to proceed calmly for a few hours and then resume attacks. We do not want any ceasefire to become a tactical deception by the Russian Federation,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
At the same time, he said he supports ceasefire initiatives that help protect civilians and facilitate prisoner exchanges.
“We always respond positively to genuine ceasefire proposals from Russia, if there are any,” Zelenskyy said.
On April 29, the Kremlin said U.S. President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin discussed Ukraine, Iran and “projects in the economy and energy sector” during a phone call. Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov said Putin expressed readiness to declare a ceasefire “for the Victory Day period” and reiterated that the goals of what Russia calls its “special military operation” would be achieved.
Trump described the call as “very good” and said he had proposed a “small ceasefire,” adding that Putin might agree.
Trump said he believed Putin had been ready for a peace deal “some time ago,” but that “certain people” had complicated the decision.
On April 30, Zelenskyy said he had instructed Ukrainian representatives in the United States to contact Trump’s team to clarify details of Russia’s proposed ceasefire for May 9.
“We will clarify what exactly is meant — a few hours of security for a parade in Moscow or something more. Our proposal is a long-term ceasefire that guarantees reliable security for people and a lasting peace,” he said.