Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has categorically dismissed Moscow's offer of a temporary three-day ceasefire to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory Day.
He also issued a stern warning to foreign leaders who are planning to attend the May 9 military parade on Red Square, emphasizing that Ukraine cannot guarantee their safety while they are in Russia.
"Not our fault what is happening on the Russian Federation territory. They offer you security, and so we will not give you guarantees," Zelenskyy said, as reported by the RBC news agency.
Categorizing Russia's call for a ceasefire as a "pseudo-move," Zelenskyy added that Kyiv is advocating a longer 30-day ceasefire, contending that it takes 30 days to achieve serious progress. "Unconditional ceasefire is the American model. We are adhering to it. Either from this date or some other date, if possible, sooner. Yes, let us attempt 30 days. Why 30-day ceasefire? Because nothing can be agreed upon in three, five, seven days," he told Interfax-Ukraine.
Victory Day, observed on May 9, marks eight decades since the Soviet Union's triumph in World War II’s Great Patriotic War. Russia plans to commemorate the occasion with a large-scale military parade at Moscow’s Red Square.
Invites to the event have been sent to more than 20 world leaders. Some of them include Chinese President Xi Jinping, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.
India was initially expected to be represented by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, with tensions rising between India and Pakistan, the Indian delegation could now be led by a minister of lower rank.
Unverified reports indicate that Serbia's President Vucic and Slovakia's Prime Minister Fico—both of whom had intended to go against EU advice and visit the parade—have recently fallen ill and may not make it to Moscow after all.
In a forceful statement on his Telegram channel, Dmitry Medvedev, Russia's Deputy Secretary of National Security Council, scoffed at the necessity for Zelenskyy's reassurance. "But if his provocations are materialized, nobody will ensure the morning of May 10 in Kyiv," he threatened.
Since the beginning, Russia has presented its war against Ukraine as a broader conflict with NATO, spearheaded by the United States. But with a recent accord between Kyiv and Washington over the development of mineral resources, some local commentators propose that the war now approximates a personal war against former U.S. President Donald Trump.
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