Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says Ukraine doesn’t deserve the “respite” that a ceasefire would bring.
It comes after President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that a 60-day ceasefire would allow his country to hold presidential elections, following comments from President Donald Trump that “it’s time for Ukraine to get a new president”.
Zelensky said that from a security standpoint, holding elections is “completely impossible” as there are attacks “day and night”, as he called for a “full ceasefire”.
The Ukrainian president also expressed surprise at Trump’s energy ceasefire announcement, telling the Warsaw Security Conference earlier today that he learned about it through the media.
Responding to Zelensky’s comments at a news conference shared by the Russian Foreign Ministry, Lavrov says that during any ceasefire Europe would be able to “pump [Ukraine] with new weapons” for it to continue the war.
He claims that Zelensky’s “surprised” reaction to Trump’s announcement is “fake”, and that the Ukrainian leader will “use any words, any initiatives… in getting a respite”.
“I don’t think he deserves a respite,” Lavrov says, adding: “I don’t think we will again buy into these assurances and promises.”