[Putin lists Ukraine's violations of the ceasefire and said that it tried to intimidate foreign leaders attending the Victory Day celebration.]

At 2 a.m. local time on May 11, the website of the Russian presidency reported that when Putin summarized the Victory Day celebrations for the media, he specifically addressed the issue of the ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. He stated that Russia had repeatedly proposed ceasefire initiatives, but these initiatives were broken by Ukraine again and again.

The Ukrainian side openly violated the 30-day ceasefire agreement reached between Russia and the United States from March 18 to April 17 regarding attacks on energy facilities, with such violations occurring approximately 130 times.

The Easter ceasefire initiated by Russia was also not observed: the Ukrainian armed forces violated the ceasefire agreement nearly 5,000 times. "Nevertheless, for the celebration of Victory Day - which we consider a sacred holiday for us as well - you can imagine, our country has lost 27 million people, and for the third time during this sacred holiday, we announced a ceasefire. At the same time, we conveyed our stance on this issue to our Western colleagues, and I believe they are sincerely seeking ways to resolve the conflict. Regarding the ceasefire stance on Victory Day, we do not exclude the possibility of extending the ceasefire period in the future - but of course, this will depend on analyzing what happens over these few days and how the Kyiv regime responds to our proposal."

Putin said that the Ukrainian side did not respond to the proposal for a ceasefire on Victory Day. Moreover, after Russia proposed a ceasefire on May 5, Ukraine launched a large-scale attack from May 6 to 7. This attack involved 524 drones and a series of Western-made missiles, as well as the use of 45 unmanned vessels in the Black Sea. During the three days of the ceasefire declared by Russia on the 8th, 9th, and 10th, the Ukrainian military made five targeted attempts to attack the Russian Federation border in the Kursk region near the Belgorod region. Additionally, there were 36 other attacks in other directions. All of these attacks were repelled.

Putin pointed out that not only did Ukraine refuse the ceasefire proposal, but it also attempted to intimidate the leaders of various countries who came to Moscow to participate in the celebrations: "Who are they trying to intimidate among those who came to Moscow to celebrate the victory over Nazi Germany? Who are they trying to intimidate? You know, those who come here became leaders through their character, beliefs, and determination to defend their beliefs, not by position. So who is trying to intimidate them? Is it those who grant national hero titles to those who once collaborated with Hitler and bow down to them and pay tribute? I think this is an attempt to use improper means, and the behavior of those who try to do so does not align with their expected goals."

Putin reiterated: We have proposed ceasefire measures multiple times. We have never refused dialogue with the Ukrainian side. Let me remind you: It was not us who interrupted the 2022 negotiations; it was the Ukrainian side. Given this, despite everything, we still proposed to the Kyiv authorities to resume negotiations where they left off at the end of 2022, resuming direct talks. I would like to emphasize that there are no preconditions."

Putin proposed immediate negotiations starting next Thursday, May 15, in Istanbul, exactly where the previous negotiations took place, i.e., where they were interrupted.

Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1831782377350144/

Disclaimer: The article solely represents the views of the author.