No peace in sight: Russia explains refusal to cease fire in Ukraine
Photo: Dmitry Peskov, Russian Presidential Spokesperson (Getty Images)
Russia has no intention of agreeing to a ceasefire with Ukraine, claiming it currently holds a strategic advantage on the battlefield, Russian Presidential Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov says in an interview with Sky News.
According to Sky News, US efforts to mediate an end to Russia's full-scale war in Ukraine have so far failed to achieve a breakthrough. Meanwhile, Russia has intensified its aerial bombardments and rejected calls for a 30-day ceasefire.
"Now we have a strategic advantage. Why should we lose it? We are not going to lose it. We are going further. We're advancing and we'll continue to advance," Peskov stated.
When asked whether Moscow would commit to not using a ceasefire to regroup and rearm, Peskov claimed the real obstacle to any pause in fighting was the continued military support Ukraine receives from the West.
Russia's ceasefire
In recent months, Russia has floated proposals for temporary ceasefires, yet has repeatedly violated them - continuing nightly air raids on Ukraine.
Despite this, Ukraine and Russia have already held two rounds of peace talks. However, Moscow has continued to demand conditions that Ukraine deems unacceptable, such as:
- Ceding control of four Ukrainian regions and Crimea to Russia;
- Halting Western arms supplies;
- Declaring formal neutrality;
- And other one-sided concessions.
Furthermore, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova recently said a third round of negotiations is in the works. During the next meeting, both sides are expected to exchange draft proposals and memoranda regarding a possible path to ending the war.
