Zelenskyy claims Putin preparing for new offensive, 'not ceasefire'

ISTANBUL

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing for "new offensive operations" rather than a ceasefire.

"There is no indication whatsoever that the Russians have received signals to prepare for a post-war situation," he said.

Zelenskyy said intelligence and military reports indicate Putin “is determined only to present a meeting with America as his personal victory and then continue acting exactly as before, applying the same pressure on Ukraine as before.”

The Kremlin has yet to respond to the allegations.

The Ukrainian president also stressed that there is “no indication whatsoever” that Russia is preparing for peace, adding that troop redeployments suggest preparations for further attacks.

“If someone is preparing for peace, this is not what he does,” said Zelenskyy.

The Ukrainian president added that Kyiv continues to brief its partners on the situation on the battlefield, on diplomacy and Russia’s planning future actions.

Russia launched a full-scale war on Ukraine in February 2022, and despite multiple international mediation efforts, no peace agreement has been reached.

US President Donald Trump announced last week that he would host Putin at an upcoming summit in Alaska for talks related to ending the war in Ukraine.