War in Ukraine - Kremlin leader Putin against ceasefire in Ukraine
After Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin also rejects a possible ceasefire in the Ukraine war without conditions. Ukraine could use a ceasefire to prepare for new attacks, therefore a sustainable solution to the conflict must first be negotiated, Putin said. The Russian president referred to previous agreements regarding the Ukraine conflict from times before the Russian invasion, which eventually ended up in the "dustbin."
The agreements Putin mentioned concerned several ceasefires between the separatist rebels in the eastern Ukraine regions under their control and Ukrainian troops. "Therefore, we cannot simply declare a ceasefire now, with the hope that the other side takes some positive steps," Putin emphasized at the end of the security council summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in the Kazakh capital Astana.
"We cannot allow the enemy to use this ceasefire to improve their situation, arm themselves, refresh their army through compulsory mobilization, and be ready to continue the armed conflict," Putin said. Russia has made numerous proposals for resolving the conflict.
Zelenskyy had already rejected a ceasefire, as suggested most recently by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Ukraine is not ready for negotiations under the current circumstances, but instead demands a full Russian withdrawal from all occupied territories, including Crimea, as a prerequisite for peace.
A mediation offer between Moscow and Kiev from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Astana was rejected by the Kremlin. Putin emphasized during the meeting in Kazakhstan that Russia is ready for peace negotiations in its war of aggression against Ukraine. However, only mediators can solve this, he claimed. He insisted that Russia has always been in favor of a political-diplomatic resolution to the conflict.
- Despite Vladimir Putin's rejection of a ceasefire in the Ukraine war without conditions, Ukraine believes a ceasefire could provide an opportunity to prepare for future attacks, necessitating a prior negotiation of a sustainable solution to the Conflict.
- Putin referred to past agreements concerning the Ukraine Conflict, which he deemed ineffective, likening them to being discarded in the "dustbin."
- Russia, under Putin's leadership, has put forth numerous proposals to Resolve the Ukraine Conflict, but the current circumstances in Ukraine have made negotiations unfeasible for Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his government.
- The Kremlin has rejected a mediation offer between Moscow and Kiev proposed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Astana, with Putin asserting that Russia is committed to peace negotiations in its War against Ukraine, but only capable mediators can facilitate this process.
- Putin's stance on a ceasefire in the Ukrainian conflict is that it could potentially allow the enemy to strengthen their position, which Russia cannot permit, as the separatist rebels in the eastern Ukraine regions have previously taken advantage of ceasefires to arm themselves and reinforce their military capabilities.
