Main points
- Ukraine has not yet made a decision on a ceasefire for May 8-9, and this will depend on Russia's actions on the front.
- The Ukrainian authorities state that without real compliance with the agreements by Moscow, any symbolic truces are meaningless.
The authorities explained their position on the truce with Russia / Collage by Channel 24 (Photo by Getty Images)
Ukraine has not yet made a final decision on a possible ceasefire for May 8-9, despite statements circulating in the media. The Office of the President emphasizes that the key principle remains a “mirror response” to Russia's actions.
This means that further developments will depend on the situation on the front in the coming days. This was reported by Dmytro Lytvyn, advisor to the head of the President's Office, in a comment for Channel 24 .
What do the authorities say about the truce on May 9?
The day before, a number of media outlets reported that Ukraine allegedly does not plan to adhere to the ceasefire proposed by Russia for May 8-9. In particular, they wrote that Kyiv “sees no point” in a truce dedicated to the parade in Moscow.
According to a government source, this position is explained by the fact that Russia has already ignored previous ceasefire initiatives. This comment came against the backdrop of statements by President Volodymyr Zelensky about numerous violations of the ceasefire regime – according to him, there were more than 1,800 cases in just a few hours.
At the same time, Dmytro Lytvyn explained that the principle of Ukraine's actions remains unchanged.
Ukraine will act in a mirror image: if there are attacks from Russia today, there will be a response. If the attacks continue tomorrow, there will also be corresponding actions. There is still time until May 9,
– he noted.
Previous attempts to agree on a ceasefire have repeatedly failed. The Ukrainian side has previously stressed that without real compliance with the agreements by Russia, any “symbolic” truces are meaningless.
In addition, the authorities emphasized: Ukraine has repeatedly proposed real steps towards a ceasefire, but they were not supported by Russia.
What statement did Zelensky make regarding the parade?
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the relocation of Russian air defense systems to Moscow opens up new opportunities for Ukraine's actions.
According to him, in recent weeks Russia has been actively redeploying air defenses from the regions, forming additional defensive rings around the capital. This, the head of state emphasized, indicates that the Kremlin is more concerned about the security of the parade than the protection of other territories.
Zelensky stressed that such actions simultaneously weaken the defenses of other regions of Russia. This, he said, creates additional opportunities for Ukrainian “long-range sanctions” and the definition of new priority targets. Intelligence also recorded that Russia does not demonstrate readiness for a ceasefire.
In addition to military aspects, Ukraine has received data on the economic plans of the occupiers. This concerns preparations for the extraction of minerals in at least 18 deposits in the temporarily occupied territories. Among the resources: titanium, lithium, graphite and other strategic materials. Russia also plans to continue the export of Ukrainian grain, which is part of the systemic economic pressure.
Zelensky stressed that these actions repeat the scenario that was previously used in Donbas. Separately, the president drew attention to Russia's economic problems. According to him, losses from sanctions are growing, which is especially hitting the budgets of the regions. As a result, as the head of state noted, a significant part of Russian regions is actually approaching bankruptcy.