‘We value human lives, not parades’: Zelensky calls for immediate ceasefire after Putin proposes Victory Day holiday truce
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky proposed an immediate ceasefire on Monday in response to a call from Russian President Vladimir Putin for a temporary truce from May 8 through May 10 to mark Russia's Victory Day holiday.
Zelensky dismissed Putin’s proposal as “yet again, another attempt at manipulation,” questioning why a ceasefire should be delayed more than a week just to “provide Putin with silence for his parade.”
We value human lives, not parades. That’s why we believe — and the world believes — that there is no reason to wait until May 8. The ceasefire should not be just for a few days, only to return to killing afterward. It must be immediate, full, and unconditional — for at least 30 days to ensure it is secure and guaranteed. This is the foundation that could lead to real diplomacy.
Earlier, on April 28, the Kremlin announced a unilateral ceasefire to mark the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory in World War II. The truce, according to Moscow, would last from midnight on May 8 until midnight on May 11.