The Russian government has declined a request from Kyiv to extend President Vladimir Putin’s planned three-day unilateral ceasefire in early May into a 30-day truce.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed on Tuesday that Moscow had reviewed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s proposal but insisted that several key issues must be addressed before considering any long-term ceasefire. “Without answers to these questions, it is difficult to move forward with a prolonged truce,” Peskov stated, echoing President Putin’s stance.
Similar conditions were outlined by Putin in March in response to former U.S. President Donald Trump’s earlier ceasefire suggestion. At the time, Putin demanded that Ukraine not use any pause in fighting to regroup or rearm, and that Western nations halt arms deliveries to Kyiv—while offering no concessions in return.
On Monday, Putin announced a unilateral ceasefire from May 8 to 11, coinciding with Russia’s annual Victory Day celebrations on May 9. Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to attend the commemorations in Moscow’s Red Square.
While the Kremlin framed the ceasefire as a “gesture of goodwill,” President Zelensky dismissed it as a calculated attempt by Putin to influence global opinion.