Ukrainian President Zelensky has described Kremlin leader Putin's reaction to the ceasefire proposal as "manipulative." Putin has set conditions in an attempt to buy time.
"We all heard from Russia the expected and very manipulative words of Vladimir Putin," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video address. Putin does not dare to openly tell US President Donald Trump that he will continue the war, Zelensky added.
"And why do they in Moscow link the idea of a ceasefire with such conditions, so that nothing can be achieved or that it cannot be achieved for as long as possible?" According to Zelensky's data, this is a frequent trick of Putin, who does not clearly speak of doing everything possible, but of postponing or making it impossible.
Putin is open in principle to a ceasefire
Russian President Vladimir Putin has been open in principle to a ceasefire, but has yet to clarify the details.
Putin wants this to be achieved only with conditions. In a press conference, Putin conditioned Moscow's approval of the US proposal for a ceasefire in the Ukraine war and expressed doubts about whether such a ceasefire could be supervised.
Although Moscow prefers the proposal for a cessation of hostilities, such ceasefires must "lead to a lasting peace and address the deep-rooted causes of this crisis ," Putin said.
Representatives of Russia and the United States will now continue talks on the proposal. In contrast, Zelensky once again emphasized in his criticism Ukraine's readiness for a limited cessation of hostilities. Kiev has accepted the ceasefire proposal because the United States has expressed its readiness to supervise it.
"Ukraine ready for peace"
There are still serious doubts in Ukraine about Russia's readiness for peace. Zelensky's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, declared on television that Ukraine will not accept a frozen conflict with Russia. Ukraine has agreed with the United States that European representatives must be involved in the peace process.
What does the ceasefire proposal foresee?
The US and Ukraine have agreed on a ceasefire proposal. US President Donald Trump hinted at the content of the draft agreement between the US and Ukraine during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Washington earlier this month.
"We have not acted blindly. We have talked to Ukraine about lands and territories that will be kept and lost," Trump said. There is also a " very large power plant " that has been the subject of negotiations - the question is who will "get" it in the future.
Trump did not provide further details on this. But the Ukrainian nuclear power plant in Saporishche, which was captured by Russia in the early days of the war, is located near the front line. It is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe./ DW (A2 Televizion)
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