President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday that Russia had decided to reject efforts to halt fighting and save lives by launching fresh attacks on Ukraine, which had called a unilateral ceasefire.
His comments raise the spectre of retaliatory Ukrainian strikes on Moscow during mass public events celebrating the end of World War II on May 9, after the Kremlin announced it would hold off attacks on Ukraine that day, hoping Kyiv would do the same.
kAmQ#FDD:2VD 49@:46 :D 2? @3G:@FD DAFC?:?8 @7 2 462D67:C6 2?5 @7 D2G:?8 =:G6D[Q +6=6?D<J HC@E6 @? D@4:2= >65:2]k^Am
kAm&<C2:?6[ 96 25565[ 925 62C=:6C G@H65 E@ Q24E :? <:?5Q E@ E96 #FDD:2? 462D67:C6 AC@A@D2= E9:D H66<6?5[ H96? #FDD:2?D EJA:42==J 7=@@5 DEC66ED 24C@DD E96 4@F?ECJ E@ >2C< G:4E@CJ @G6C }2K: v6C>2?J :? (@C=5 (2C xx]k^Am
kAmQxE :D @3G:@FD E@ 2?J C62D@?23=6 A6CD@? E92E 2 7F==\D42=6 H2C 2?5 E96 52:=J >FC56C:?8 @7 A6@A=6 2C6 2 325 E:>6 7@C AF3=:4 V46=63C2E:@?D[VQ E96 &<C2:?:2? =6256C D2:5]k^Am
kAmzJ:G D2:5 #FDD:2 925 2EE24<65 62DE6C? 2?5 D@FE96C? &<C2:?6 H:E9 >@C6 E92? `__ 5C@?6D @G6C?:89E[ 2 52J 27E6C #FDD:2? DEC:<6D <:==65 2=>@DE b_ &<C2:?:2? 4:G:=:2?D]Â k^Am
kAm|@D4@H 925 ?6G6C D2:5 :E H@F=5 23:56 3J zJ:GVD 42== E@ 92=E 7:C6 7C@> >:5?:89E @? |2J e \\ 2 4@F?E6C\ECF46 +6=6?D<J AC@A@D65 27E6C #FDD:2 2??@F?465 2 462D67:C6 E@ 4@G6C :ED ':4E@CJ s2J A2C256 $2EFC52J @? #65 $BF2C6 :? |@D4@H]k^Am
kAm+6=6?D<J 925 5:D>:DD65 #FDD:2VD QFEE6C 4J?:4:D>Q 7@C 42==:?8 7@C 2 462D67:C6 E@ AC@E64E E96 A2C256 \\ @?6 @7 E96 >@DE :>A@CE2?E 52JD @7 E96 J62C 7@C #FDD:2? =6256C '=25:>:C !FE:? \\ H9:=6 =2F?49:?8 5625=J DEC:<6D @? 9:D 4@F?ECJ]k^Am
k9am\ uC@?E=:?6 7:89E:?8 \k^9am
kAmp &<C2:?:2? @77:46C 2E E96 62DE6C? 7C@?E[ DA62<:?8 @? 4@?5:E:@? @7 2?@?J>:EJ[ E@=5 pu!i Q%96 6?6>J 4@?E:?F65 E@ 42CCJ @FE :?72?ECJ C2:5D 2?5 2EE6>AED E@ DE@C> @FC A@D:E:@?D]Qk^Am
kAm$:?46 #FDD:2 Q5:5 ?@E 4@>A=JQ H:E9 E96 zJ:G\DF886DE65 462D67:C6[ Q@FC F?:E C6DA@?565 :? <:?5 2?5 4@F?E6C65 2== AC@G@42E:@?DQ[ 96 25565]Â k^Am
kAmp?@E96C 7C@?E=:?6 4@>>2?56C D2:5i Q%96 :?E6?D:EJ @7 4@>32E @A6C2E:@?D C6>2:?D 2E E96 D2>6 =6G6=]Qk^Am
kAmw:D F?:E[ 96 D2:5[ H2D 2=D@ C6DA@?5:?8i Qp? 6J6 7@C 2? 6J6[ 2 E@@E9 7@C 2 E@@E9PQ]Â k^Am
kAmzJ:G D2:5 2E =62DE @?6 A6CD@? 925 366? <:==65 :? E96 @G6C?:89E DEC:<6D]k^Am
kAm#FDD:2? 7@C46D 2=D@ DECF4< 2 <:?56C82CE6? :? E96 62DE6C? 3@C56C C68:@? @7 $F>J @? (65?6D52J >@C?:?8[ <:==:?8 2 D64FC:EJ 8F2C5[ =@42= @77:4:2=D D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 zC6>=:? 92D ?@E 4@>>6?E65 @? E96 zJ:G\AC@A@D65 462D67:C6[ @?=J 42==:?8 7@C &<C2:?6 E@ 92=E 2EE24<D 7@C |2J h]k^Am
kAm|@D4@HVD 5676?46 >:?:DECJ D2:5 :E 925 5@H?65 db &<C2:?:2? 5C@?6D 36EH66? a`i__ 2?5 _fi__ W`g__\_c__ v|%X \\ 72C 76H6C E92? :? AC6G:@FD 52JD]k^Am
kAmxE 5:5 ?@E D2J H96E96C 2?J @7 E96 5C@?6D 2EE24<65 27E6C zJ:GVD F?:=2E6C2= ECF46 H2D DFAA@D65 E@ 4@>6 :?E@ 67764E 2E >:5?:89E]Â k^Am
kAm{2E6 @? %F6D52J[ &<C2:?:2? 5C@?6 2EE24<D @? E96 ?@CE9 @7 #FDD:2?\2??6I65 rC:>62 <:==65 7:G6 A6@A=6[ |@D4@H\:?DE2==65 2FE9@C:E:6D :? E96 A6?:?DF=2 D2:5]Â k^Am
kAm%96 DEC:<6 9:E 9@FCD 27E6C #FDD:2 925 A@F?565 D6G6C2= &<C2:?:2? 4:E:6D H:E9 E96 5625=:6DE 2EE24<D :? H66<D \\ <:==:?8 2E =62DE ag A6@A=6 :? ac 9@FCD]Â k^Am
kAm+6=6?D<J 42==65 @? &<C2:?6VD 2==:6D E@ 4@?56>? E96 2EE24<D] p DEC:<6 @? E96 46?EC6 @7 +2A@C:K9K9:2 4:EJ[ H9:49 <:==65 `a A6@A=6[ 925 Q23D@=FE6=J ?@ >:=:E2CJ ;FDE:7:42E:@?Q[ 96 25565]k^Am
k9am\ pEE24<D 566A :? #FDD:2 \k^9am
kAmq@E9 D:56D 92G6 DE6AA65 FA DEC:<6D :? C646?E H66<D[ 2?5 E96 >@C6 E92? 7@FC\J62C H2C 92D <:==65 9F?5C65D @7 E9@FD2?5D @7 D@=5:6CD 2?5 E6?D @7 E9@FD2?5D @7 4:G:=:2?D]k^Am
kAmzJ:G @? %F6D52J 9:E 566A :?D:56 #FDD:2[ <:==:?8 EH@ A6@A=6 :? r963@<D2CJ[ 2 4:EJ @? E96 '@=82[ 9F?5C65D @7 >:=6D 7C@> &<C2:?6]k^Am
kAm%96 2EE24<D 92G6 4C62E65 2 D6?D6 @7 ?6CG@FD?6DD :? #FDD:2 29625 @7 E96 |2J h A2C256] |@D4@H 92D D2:5 :E H:== C6>@G6 >:=:E2CJ 92C5H2C6 7C@> E96 AC@46DD:@? 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6 :? 2=>@DE a_ J62CD]Â k^Am
kAmxE 92D 2=D@ DE2CE65 :?E6C>:EE6?E 4:EJ\H:56 :?E6C?6E D9FE5@H?D =2DE:?8 F?E:= $2EFC52J]k^Am
kAm+6=6?D<J 92D 42==65 E9:D 2 D:8? @7 H62<?6DD[ D2J:?8i Q%96J 762C 5C@?6D >2J 3FKK @G6C #65 $BF2C6]QÂ k^Am
kAm%2=<D @? 6?5:?8 H92E 92D DA:C2==65 :?E@ tFC@A6VD H@CDE 4@?7=:4E D:?46 (@C=5 (2C xx 92G6 D9@H? =:EE=6 AC@8C6DD 2?5 92G6 366? D:56=:?6D 3J E96 xC2? 4@?7=:4E]Â k^Am
kAm|@D4@H :D 56>2?5:?8 E92E &<C2:?6 H:E95C2H 7C@> 7@FC C68:@?D :E 4=2:>D 2D :ED @H? \\ E6C>D D66? 2D F?2446AE23=6 E@ zJ:G]Â k^Am
kAm3FC\@4\;3C^;4^;;k^Am



