"No conditions for ceasefire without guarantees and monitoring of ceasefire," - Zelenskyy
The first step towards ending Russian aggression must be a full and unconditional ceasefire. At the same time, any pause in hostilities carries military risks unless it is backed by international monitoring and clear security guarantees from the world’s leading powers.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated this during a joint press conference with Estonian President Alar Karis, according to Censor.NET.
"Killzones" and the threat of the occupiers' advance
The Head of State acknowledged that a ceasefire is an extremely complex technical and political process. In the absence of effective monitoring mechanisms, Russia is bound to attempt to exploit the ceasefire to improve its own tactical position on the front line.
Military risk: Zelenskyy drew attention to the existence of so-called ‘kill zones’ extending 20, 30 or 40 kilometres inland.
He noted that if no mission of international guarantors and appropriate monitoring is deployed along the line of contact, Russian occupation forces could breach the agreements and advance 20 kilometres into certain parts of Ukraine.
"This is a huge risk. That is why we say: no conditions for a ceasefire. The ideal outcome of peace talks is to end the war immediately. At the very least, we must take the first step – an unconditional and complete ceasefire. This is important," the president emphasised.
The four-party leaders' format
According to Zelenskyy, a meeting at the highest level is necessary to reach an effective and secure ceasefire agreement.
The ideal framework for future negotiations should include four key parties:
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Ukraine (as a victim of aggression);
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Russia (as the aggressor state);
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Europe (as a guarantor of regional security);
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The United States of America (as a strategic global ally).
The Ukrainian leader emphasised that Kyiv has every political will to reach a diplomatic settlement on fair terms. At the same time, the Kremlin has yet to demonstrate any genuine desire to put an end to the bloodshed.
