ISTANBUL

Moscow said Tuesday it remains unclear whether Ukraine will join a temporary ceasefire declared by Russia for the 80th anniversary of Victory Day, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Peskov told reporters that President Vladimir Putin had made “a gesture of goodwill” by announcing a temporary cessation of hostilities from midnight on May 7-8 to midnight on May 10-11, and added: “We have not heard a reaction from the Kyiv regime so far. It is very difficult to understand whether the Kyiv regime is going to join or not.”

Commenting on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s call for a 30-day truce, Peskov said a longer ceasefire would require addressing “all the nuances” Putin previously outlined, adding that “without an answer to these questions, it is difficult to go to such a long-term truce.”

He also noted there has been no response from Kyiv regarding direct negotiations, but stressed Russia’s focus remains on bringing the conflict toward a peaceful settlement, despite what he described as “legal issues” surrounding Zelenskyy’s legitimacy.

“The first step is to start this negotiation process; everything else is secondary,” Peskov said.

Zelenskyy earlier dismissed Russia’s ceasefire announcement as a manipulation attempt tied to Soviet victory commemorations in World War II.

“Now, yet again, another attempt at manipulation: for some reason, everyone is supposed to wait until May 8 before ceasing fire – just to provide Putin with silence for his parade," he said.

“We value human lives, not parades. That’s why we believe – and the world believes – that there is no reason to wait until May 8,” he said, stressing that any ceasefire should be “immediate, full and unconditional – for at least 30 days to ensure it is secure and guaranteed.”