‘They’re idiots’: Zelenskyy blasts Russian ceasefire offer

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has sharply criticized Russia’s proposal for a two- to three-day ceasefire aimed at retrieving bodies from the battlefield.

He reiterated that Ukraine’s position remains unchanged: a full, unconditional ceasefire must be negotiated. That proposal was rejected by Russian diplomats on Monday following talks held in Turkey.

“And in principle, they don't even envision a real ceasefire. They said they're ready for a 2-3 day pause to collect the dead from the battlefield. I think they're idiots. Because a ceasefire is meant to prevent people from being killed,” the Ukrainian president said.

Zelenskyy argued that Russia has no intention of ending the war and is merely seeking a brief pause before resuming hostilities.

“That's why we want our American partners to take firm action by advancing the sanctions package in the Senate — to pressure Russia into a ceasefire through tough sanctions. They don't understand any other language right now. We believe this is fair. It's already been five months since the U.S. signaled support for a ceasefire, and we support that,” he explained.

Russia has categorically refused to agree to a 30-day ceasefire, claiming such a pause would give Western countries time to further arm Ukraine.

(QG - Source: RBC Ukraine — Picture : © Unsplash)