"They’re idiots" – Zelenskyy on Russia’s proposal for 2–3-day ceasefire
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has slammed Russia’s proposal to declare a ceasefire for 2–3 days in specific areas along the frontline.
He stated this during a press briefing with journalists, according to Censor.NET.
"Essentially, they don’t see a ceasefire as such. They said they’re ready to stop fighting for 2 or 3 days to retrieve their dead from the battlefield. I think they’re idiots — because a ceasefire should be about preventing deaths," the President stressed.
According to Zelenskyy, for the Russians, it’s simply about taking a brief pause in the war.
"Commanders on the ground already exchange the bodies of fallen soldiers. What the Russians are proposing is not a ceasefire," Zelenskyy said.
The President added that Moscow is trying to imitate diplomacy in order to delay the imposition of U.S. sanctions against Russia.
"Why are they doing this? The same way they approach prisoner exchanges. Exchanges are extremely important for us, and they know it — they’re using this to feed the Americans just enough to stall their decision on sanctions, so that they don’t impose them when they should have already done so. That’s why it’s important for us to emphasize: if this time Istanbul does not bring any progress on the ceasefire, then the U.S. must respond with sanctions," Zelenskyy added.
As a reminder, Vladimir Medinsky, head of the Russian delegation at the talks in Istanbul, stated that Russia had proposed a "concrete ceasefire" lasting 2–3 days in specific areas of the frontline.
