Weapons already in warehouses, even 30-day ceasefire won't help Russia — Zelenskyy
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
A 30-day ceasefire is necessary to initiate dialogue, but it won't be enough time for Russia to regroup, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a press conference.
According to him, this period is not sufficient for a full restoration of forces, and the main goal of the initiative is to create conditions for opening dialogue.
"I believe that this time frame won't be enough for anyone to fully restore their strength. A 30-day ceasefire is more about de-escalation and creating the opportunity to open a dialogue. That's what this is really about," the president emphasized.
Zelenskyy also responded to Russia's demands to halt Western arms supplies during the ceasefire:
"That's not how supplies work. It won't help anyone. And it won't help the Russians. What supplies would stop? These weapons and equipment have already been in Europe for months. Different types of weapons, different systems. It's not even a secret to the Russians — they understand this," he said.
He added that delays in new arms deliveries would not impact Ukraine's defense capabilities, as the necessary weapons are already in storage.
"Even if certain weapons don't cross our border during that time, it won't make a difference. What we need — we already have in our warehouses," Zelenskyy stated.
30-day ceasefire
Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected the joint initiative proposed by Ukraine, the United States, and the Coalition of the Willing to establish a ceasefire starting May 12. Instead, he expressed a desire to resume peace talks in Istanbul, scheduled for May 15.
In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed his readiness for negotiations, on the condition that Russia agrees to a ceasefire beginning May 12. He also proposed holding the meeting at the highest level and stated he would personally travel to Istanbul. As of now, it remains unclear who will represent Russia in the talks, as Putin has yet to respond to Zelenskyy's proposal.
Moreover, Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for the Russian President, stated that the Kremlin does not accept ultimatums regarding a ceasefire with Ukraine and insists on resuming direct negotiations in Istanbul without preconditions.
