Ukraine rejects Russia's 'Victory Day' ceasefire after Moscow violates Kiev's ceasefire

Ukraine sees no reason to respect a ceasefire proposed by Russia for Victory Day celebrations, a senior Ukrainian official told the Kyiv Independent newspaper on May 6.

"We just don't see the reason (to attend) the parade," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly.

The comment came after President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia had violated a ceasefire proposed by Ukraine 1,820 times by 10 a.m. local time, hours after it came into effect.

Zelensky said on May 4 that Ukraine would implement a ceasefire starting May 6, after Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed a "special ceasefire for Victory Day" on May 8-9.

Moscow previously scaled back its planned Victory Day parade, an annual show of its projected military might, over fears of potential Ukrainian attacks.

War-wide ceasefires, often proposed by Moscow during religious holidays, have never held. Russia violated the previous ceasefire during Orthodox Easter 10,721 times during a 32-hour period in April, the Ukrainian General Staff said.

Oleksandr Merezhko, head of the Ukrainian parliament's foreign affairs committee, stressed that Kiev is "truly interested" in an unconditional ceasefire, not "a temporary ceasefire, the sole purpose of which is to guarantee that Putin holds the military parade," after which Russia will continue to launch indiscriminate attacks on civilians.

Merezhko suggested that Putin's sole purpose in proposing the May 8-9 ceasefire is to avoid the "humiliating interruption" of the May 9 military parade in Moscow.

"Such an offer is a sign of weakness and panic on Putin's part," Merezhko told the Kyiv Independent.

"Putin's nightmare is for the military parade to be interrupted or disrupted, which would send a signal to the Russian population that Putin is weak, is losing the war, and is unable to guarantee security for Russians."

Political analyst Volodymyr Fesenko argued that, regardless of whether Kiev supports the ceasefire proposed by Moscow during May 8-9, Russia will not implement the ceasefire and Ukraine will imitate its actions.

But he cast strong doubt on possible Ukrainian attacks on Moscow during the celebrations, explaining that this could provoke Moscow to launch an attack on Kiev and that "it is a choice between show and efficiency," especially since there are also targets elsewhere in Russia.

Fesenko noted that the “ceasefire” proposal is a long-used Russian propaganda tactic, in which Putin appears to be trying to show people in Russia that he is “supposedly a human peacemaker.” The tactic is also likely intended to signal to U.S. President Donald Trump that he supposedly wants peace, according to the expert.

"This is an imitation of a ceasefire, and for Trump that is enough," Fesenko told the Kyiv Independent newspaper, adding that Putin's proposals for a short-term ceasefire are not a real ceasefire.

Putin expressed to Trump his readiness for a temporary ceasefire in Ukraine for the Victory Day celebrations on May 9 during a phone call, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said on April 29.

“I suggested a little ceasefire and I think he might do that. He might announce something to that effect,” Trump said during a press briefing broadcast live from the White House on April 29.

"I asked him about (a ceasefire), even if it's a small ceasefire, there are so many people being killed. It's so ridiculous."

After announcing the May 6 ceasefire earlier, Zelensky said on May 4 that Ukraine had not yet received an official appeal from Moscow outlining the terms of the ceasefire that Russian officials have publicly discussed.

Zelensky argued that Kiev's proposed ceasefire from May 6, to which Moscow has not agreed, would be sufficient to test whether a genuine pause in the fighting could be implemented.

"We believe that human life is much more valuable than any anniversary celebrations," Zelensky wrote on May 4, referring to upcoming Victory Day commemorations in Russia.

Moscow has also accused Kiev of violating its own ceasefire. The Russian Foreign Ministry's Ambassador for Special Affairs, Rodion Miroshnik, said Ukraine had launched attacks on Russian-occupied Crimea and Russia's Bryansk Oblast.

Kiev has not responded to Moscow's accusation at the time of publication.

Volodymyr Ariev, a Ukrainian lawmaker from the opposition European Solidarity party, argued that it makes no sense to either accept or propose a short-term ceasefire, which Moscow regularly violates.

“What’s the point of talking about short-term ceasefires that no one is adhering to?” Ariev told the Kyiv Independent newspaper.

Ariev stressed the importance of "doing everything possible" to force Russian troops into conditions where they have no choice but to adhere to a long-term ceasefire.

Aligning with Zelensky's call for a ceasefire, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry condemned Moscow for violating it.

"Moscow once again ignored a realistic and just call to end hostilities, supported by other states and international organizations," said Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.

"This shows that Russia rejects peace and its false calls for a ceasefire on May 9 have nothing to do with diplomacy," he added.

"Putin only cares about military parades, not human lives."

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsakhna said his country and other EU allies support the ceasefire proposed by Zelensky on May 6 and expect Russia to return it to the same line.

"So far, it is Russia that has consistently acted in bad faith, not respecting even its unilaterally declared ceasefires," Tsakhna told the Kyiv Independent newspaper.

A genuine ceasefire can provide space for meaningful negotiations towards ending Russia's war of aggression and achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace."

The Geopost