Zelenskyy Rejects Putin’s 3-Day Ceasefire as a Show

Photo: Reuters

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said "no" to a new proposal from Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop fighting for three days from May 7 to May 9. Zelenskyy said the offer was not serious and called it a "theatrical performance" meant to make Russia look good at home, not a real step toward peace.

"This is more like a show from Putin," Zelenskyy told reporters during a private meeting. "In just two or three days, you can't make a real plan to end a war."

He also said Ukraine would not take part in what he called "games" just to make things easier for Putin during Russia's Victory Day celebrations on May 9. This holiday marks the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II and is a big event in Russia.

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Putin said his short “humanitarian truce” would last from midnight on May 8 until midnight on May 11. The Kremlin (Russia’s government) said this break in fighting was meant to see if Ukraine was ready to talk about peace.

But Zelenskyy didn’t believe it. He reminded people that Russia has broken other short ceasefires in the past. “They kill people until the 7th, stop for a couple of days, and then start again on the 11th,” he told The Kyiv Independent.

Zelenskyy said that instead of this short truce, Ukraine supports a full 30-day ceasefire that the United States suggested back in March. Ukraine agreed to it over 50 days ago, but Russia turned it down. Russia said it would only agree if the West stopped sending weapons to Ukraine.

Zelenskyy explained why a longer ceasefire makes more sense: “Let’s try 30 days. Why 30? Because you can’t make any real agreements in just three, five, or seven days.”

He also said that the timing of Putin’s offer shows it’s more about appearances than about peace.

Russia’s Reaction

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova accused Zelenskyy of threatening people who want to take part in the May 9 events. She said, “His words are clearly a direct threat,” referring to war veterans and foreign visitors.

But Zelenskyy warned that Russia might actually cause problems on purpose—like fires or explosions—and then blame Ukraine. “They may do these things themselves and say we did it,” he said.

Even though Russia talked about a ceasefire, fighting hasn’t stopped. Russian shelling has killed civilians in Ukraine’s Donetsk and Kherson areas. Meanwhile, Russia said Ukrainian drones attacked the port city of Novorossiysk, injuring several people.

Talks With Trump’s Envoy and Brief Meeting at the Vatican

Zelenskyy also said Putin’s ceasefire offer might have come after new peace messages sent by former U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff. Still, Zelenskyy warned that a short break in fighting, without strong rules and supervision, would only help Russia on the battlefield.

He also shared more about a short meeting he had with Donald Trump at the Vatican, during the funeral of Pope Francis. Zelenskyy said the meeting was brief but important.

“I hope that after our meeting, President Trump has started to understand the war a little better,” Zelenskyy said. “It was important to clearly explain Ukraine’s position to him.”