As US President Donald Trump urges a quick end to the war and suspends military aid to Kyiv, negotiations for a possible truce have gained momentum. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has demanded an immediate ceasefire in the air and at sea as a first step towards peace talks. French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France and the UK had offered a one-month ceasefire on air, sea, and energy infrastructure attacks.
But Russia has rejected these proposals in their entirety. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova made this clear on a televised briefing, saying Moscow would only contemplate “firm agreements on a final settlement” and that any cease-fire short-term was “absolutely unacceptable.”
“We are seeing a clear attempt to give the weakening Kyiv regime a breather at any price and stop its front lines from collapsing,” Zakharova added. She went on to assert that Ukraine would use such an interlude to strengthen its armed forces with Western support.
While negotiations toward a potential agreement go on, Russian leaders have continued to insist on their uncompromising line. Moscow refuses to give up any of the occupied Ukrainian lands, strongly opposes a European-led peacekeeping mission, and persists in demanding that NATO’s footprint be reduced in Europe.
Trump’s move to suspend military aid has further alarmed Kyiv and Europe that Ukraine is likely to be pushed into a peace agreement with Russia. With the battlefield position of Ukraine becoming more and more vulnerable, the denial of an interim ceasefire indicates Moscow’s resolve to pursue its military and political goals without giving in.
