The Kremlin will not agree to a ceasefire over the holidays without a peace agreement

The Kremlin said on Tuesday that Ukraine's proposed Christmas ceasefire would depend on reaching a peace agreement, Reuters reported.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday that Kiev supports the idea of ​​a ceasefire, in particular regarding attacks on energy infrastructure, over the Christmas period.

Asked about this proposal, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov replied that the real question “is whether, as President (Donald) Trump claims, we will reach an agreement or not.”

According to Peskov, Russia will probably not join such a ceasefire if Ukraine focuses on “short-term, unworkable solutions” rather than on a lasting agreement.

Vladimir Putin's spokesman then repeated his boss's traditional propaganda phrases: – We want peace. We do not want a truce that will give Ukraine a moment of respite and allow it to prepare for a continuation of the war. – We want to end this war, achieve our goals, secure our interests and guarantee peace in Europe for the future. That's what we want, Peskov told reporters.

A Kremlin spokesman said Moscow had not yet reviewed the details of proposals for NATO's Article 5-style security guarantees for Ukraine, which U.S. and European officials say Washington has offered to provide. (PAP)

os/ mal/