Zelenskyy Urges Genuine Ceasefire as Russian Attacks Persist Despite Claims
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has issued a call for Russia to enact a sincere halt to drone and missile strikes on Ukraine's civilian infrastructure for a minimum of 30 days. He accuses Russian President Vladimir Putin of orchestrating a public relations stunt after Putin declared an Easter ceasefire, which was immediately undermined by thousands of violations from the Russian military.
Zelenskyy cited reports from Ukraine's commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, who noted that heavy weaponry was still in use by Russia. Since Sunday morning, there has been an observable increase in Russian shelling, despite the lack of air raid alerts on that day. In his statements, Zelenskyy proposed a significant pause in Russian long-range drone and missile strikes targeting civilian areas. He stressed that Russia's unwillingness to embrace such a proposal would be indicative of its desire to continue actions detrimental to human lives and prolong the conflict.
While some Ukrainian soldiers reported a relative lull in hostilities—particularly in the Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv regions—reports varied significantly across the front lines. A drone unit commander remarked on the noticeable decrease in Russian activity, indicating that assaults had dwindled to minor incidents involving small groups. One soldier, Sergiy, commented on a relative quietness compared to typical days, and journalists from AFP observed fewer explosions and no visible smoke on the horizon.
Contrarily, other Ukrainian troops conveyed a different reality to the UK’s Guardian correspondent Luke Harding, stating that Russian attacks continued past the time they were expected to cease. Denys Bobkov, speaking for Ukraine's 37th separate marine brigade, expressed that it felt like just another day of combat, with ongoing shelling and assaults on their positions.
Zelenskyy suggested that the inconsistencies in Russian actions might imply either a lack of control by Putin over his military or a lack of genuine interest in pursuing peace. He underscored that as the clock struck midnight into Monday, marking the end of Putin's declared truce, alerts from the Ukrainian air force indicated fresh missile and drone threats from Russia.
In response to this ongoing tension, Zelenskyy urged his forces to adopt a strategy of mirroring Russian military actions. He stated, "We will respond to silence with silence—our strikes will be to protect against Russian strikes."
In the backdrop, U.S. President Donald Trump weighed in on the situation, asserting that a breakthrough in negotiations could be within reach in the coming days. He expressed hopes that both Russia and Ukraine would agree to a deal soon, suggesting that such an agreement would lead both nations to engage in significant business opportunities with the United States. The White House has yet to release further details regarding Trump's announcement, coming after he stated that he would halt U.S. peace efforts unless both sides demonstrated momentum in their negotiations.
Zelenskyy's appeals and Trump's commentary highlight the complexities of the ongoing conflict, with a stark divide between the narratives presented by both sides amidst the ongoing war.
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