“Western countries insist on a 30-day ceasefire, seeking to give Kiev time to restore its military potential and continue the conflict with Russia, just as they did in 2014 and 2015 with the Minsk Agreements,” the spokesperson wrote on the Foreign Ministry’s official Telegram page.

Zakharova emphasized that Berlin and Paris previously helped Kiev prepare for war, using the Minsk Agreements solely to gain time. In 2022, former German Chancellor Angela Merkel and former French President François Hollande stated that no one planned to implement the Minsk agreements, and that they were necessary to give Ukraine time and prepare to resolve the “Donbas problem” by force. Currently, those same countries are seeking a 30-day ceasefire to give Kiev a chance to breathe, recover its military potential, and continue the confrontation with Russia, the diplomat stated.

According to Zakharova, France and the United Kingdom remain the main supporters of providing Kyiv with the conditions to prolong the confrontation, and they view the ceasefire only as a way to strengthen the Ukrainian side’s position.

Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed on May 15th to begin direct negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul without preconditions.

On Sunday, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky announced Kiev’s willingness to negotiate with Moscow on the condition of a ceasefire beginning May 12.

The Russian Foreign Ministry’s ambassador-at-large, Rodion Miroshnik, accused Zelensky of using the idea of ​​a ceasefire to rearm the Ukrainian army.

jrr/llp/lam/gfa