MOSCOW (Reuters) – The Kremlin said on Tuesday that Ukraine had not responded to many offers by Russia President Vladimir Putin to start direct peace negotiations, and that it was unclear whether it would join a three-day ceasefire he has announced for next month.
“It was President Putin who repeatedly said that Russia is ready, without any preconditions, to start the negotiations process,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. “We have not heard a response from the Kyiv regime so far.”
Putin on Monday declared a three-day ceasefire in the war in Ukraine from May 8-10, when Russia plans lavish celebrations to mark the 80th anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two.
Ukraine, in response, questioned why Moscow would not agree to its call for a ceasefire lasting at least 30 days and starting immediately.
“We value people’s lives and not parades,” President Volodymr Zelenskiy said.
Peskov said it was “very difficult to understand” whether Ukraine intended to join the ceasefire.
(Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Lucy Papachristou; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)
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