The Kremlin said on Tuesday that Russian troops still plan to stop fires in Ukraine from May 8 to 10, but Russian troops will still respond if Ukrainian troops try to strike on Russian positions.
Putin announced a three-day ceasefire on April 28 to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union and its victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
The Kremlin said a 72-hour ceasefire will be on May 8 – Putin will host international leaders in the Red Square, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, and on May 10.
Get the daily national news
Get news, politics, economics and current events titles delivered to your inbox every day.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy seems to have ruled out such a brief ceasefire so far, saying he is only ready to sign a ceasefire that lasts at least 30 days, and Putin said an idea would require a lot of work to become a reality.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said when asked what Russia would do if Zelenskiy did not sign a three-day ceasefire.
“Of course, President Putin's initiative on a temporary ceasefire on public holidays is effective, and the instructions of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief (to the Army) have been put forward by the Supreme Commander,” Peskov said.
“There will be a ceasefire, but if the Kiev regime is not reciprocated and attempts to strike our posts or our facilities to continue, then an appropriate response will be provided immediately.”
Peskov said Kiev has not yet made any indication that it is ready to sign the proposed ceasefire.
