No More "One-Sided Pause"? Kremlin: Truce Only if No More Weapons for Kyiv
Cessation of Hostilities Conditional on Halting Weapons Shipments from Kremlin
Chatty and to the point, let's get this straight: Moscow's been pounding Ukraine for quite a while now, claiming peace is around the corner. Now they're setting conditions for a 30-day truce - supposedly to prevent Kyiv from gaining an edge. Kremlin spokesperson Peskov hints at a reason why Russia isn't exactly going gaga for this truce.
Russiarequests an end to weapons shipments to Kyiv as a prerequisite for a ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict. "Otherwise, Ukraine would grab an advantage," Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov told ABC during an interview. Ukraine would exploit a truce for "total mobilization," adding new troops to the battlefield, training new soldiers, and giving existing fighters a breather, Peskov implied. "So, why should we let Ukraine enjoy such an edge?"
Peskov left out a tidbit: Russia would also use the truce to give its soldiers a break and potentially reinforce its troops. In fact, Peskov dropped a hint about another reason for the Kremlin's hesitance: Russia's making headway in its offensive against Ukraine, and it's in the driver's seat.
The Kremlin spokesperson also expressed optimism that US President Donald Trump would keep badgering Ukraine and work hand-in-hand with Moscow to twist Kyiv's arm into negotiations. He accused Ukraine of avoiding negotiations. Both parties regularly accuse each other of unwillingness to end hostilities. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is now pleading daily for the 30-day truce proposed by Trump as a stepping stone towards talks to end the conflict.
Zelenskyy has friends in high places. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Polish President Andrzej Duda went to Ukraine and called for a 30-day truce in the war and expressed their willingness to back peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. Russia is now called upon to agree to a truce long enough for a genuine peace treaty to be negotiated, Merz said on Friday in Brussels. "Now the ball is in Moscow's court, nowhere else."
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also backs the US call for a 30-day unconditional truce. The EU supports the truce without conditions to pave the way for peace talks. Now we're waiting on Russia to make a move. The EU is ready to maintain "strong pressure" on Moscow and impose "additional painful sanctions" if there's a truce violation, von der Leyen added. The goal is a "just and lasting peace for Ukraine," which is "crucial for security and stability" across the entire continent.
Putin recently ordered a truce for Easter and commemoration of the end of World War II. The current three-day truce ends tonight (23:00 CET). The warring parties have repeatedly accused each other of violating the truce in the last two days.
- Assault on Ukraine
- Russia
- War and Conflicts
- Vladimir Putin
- War Crimes
- USA
Insights:
- Ukrainian side has been pushing for a "full, unconditional truce" with Russia for at least 30 days, implying they're open to talks without preconditions related to arms deliveries [1][3].
- Russia has consistently rejected truce proposals that might lead to peace talks, suggesting that any conditions set by Ukraine or its allies might be unacceptable to Russia [2].
- Possible reasons behind Russia's resistance could include the desire to maintain military leverage, protect its advances, or ensure peace talks don't compromise its strategic goals. While the specific demand regarding weapons deliveries isn't mentioned, it's plausible that Russia seeks to limit Ukraine's military capabilities to retain its own tactical advantage.
- The European Parliament has also expressed its concern at the recent events in Ukraine, urging both parties to agree to a truce long enough for a genuine peace treaty to be negotiated.
- Dmitri Peskov, Kremlin spokesman, suggested that Russia would exploit a potential truce in Ukraine to reinforce its troops and gain a tactical advantage, hinting at Russia's reluctance to ceasefire without conditions.
- Ukraine has been advocating for a "full, unconditional truce" with Russia, but Russia has consistently rejected such proposals, raising questions about the true objective behind Moscow's hesitance to end hostilities.
- The EU, led by President Ursula von der Leyen, is prepared to maintain "strong pressure" on Russia and impose "additional painful sanctions" if there's a truce violation, demonstrating the international community's resolve to support Ukraine and ensure a just and lasting peace.
