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A top adviser to President Donald Trump has called Russian President Vladimir Putin’s offer for a three-day ceasefire in Ukraine “absurd.”
Some shit you should know before you read: Over the weekend, President Putin announced a three-day ceasefire in Ukraine, set to coincide with Russia’s Victory Day celebrations from May 8 to May 11. Putin framed the offer as a goodwill gesture to honor the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany, calling on Ukraine to join the pause in hostilities. However, Ukrainian officials quickly dismissed the move, accusing Putin of trying to stage a brief calm to protect his military parade from Ukrainian drone attacks and to create a false image of Russia being open to peace. Ukraine argued that the timing and limited scope of the ceasefire showed it was more about public relations than genuine diplomacy. It followed a previous Easter “ceasefire” that fell apart almost immediately, with both Russia and Ukraine accusing each other of repeated violations.
What’s going on now: While appearing on Fox News, President Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, criticized Putin’s proposed ceasefire, calling it “absurd.” He said, “A three-day ceasefire is absurd. What the president wants is a permanent, comprehensive ceasefire — sea, air, land, infrastructure — for a minimum of 30 days, and then we can extend that.“ Kellogg suggested that Ukraine was largely aligned with the US plan and that now it’s up to Putin to accept the terms. He said, “We’ve got one side, now you need to come up the other side. And I think we’re close.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was even more direct in rejecting Putin’s offer. In his nightly address, Zelenskyy said, “For some reason, everyone is supposed to wait for May 8 and only then have a ceasefire to ensure calm for Putin during the parade.” He criticized the timing, adding, “We value people’s lives and not parades.” Zelenskyy added, “If Russia truly wants peace, it must cease fire immediately,” and stressed that “the ceasefire should be not for a few days only to resume the killing afterward.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also dismissed Putin’s ceasefire proposal. In an interview with Corriere della Sera, Meloni said, “The three-day truce announced by Putin for the anniversary of the victory in World War II is a different thing, and decisively insufficient.”
Meloni, a close ally of President Trump, also praised his recent meeting with Zelenskyy in Rome, calling it “a beautiful moment,” and suggesting it “could represent a turning point” and perhaps “Pope Francis’s last gift to all of us.”
