On a state visit to Prague on Sunday, President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had no faith in Russian strongman Vladimir Putin’s claim that he would adhere to a three-day truce coinciding with Moscow’s Victory Day parade on May 9.
About a week before Putin is slated to be accompanied by several world leaders at a celebration of the defeat of Nazi Germany, the Kremlin leader ordered a three-day truce starting then, calling it a test of Ukraine’s readiness for a long-term ceasefire.
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Last week, when the Kremlin launched such an idea, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov effectively rejected Zelensky’s proposal for a 30-day ceasefire during a press briefing.
Peskov said that the 30-day ceasefire is “impossible without resolving all the nuances,” according to The Moscow Times.
In Prague on Sunday, Zelensky noted the many instances of Russia’s complete disregard for previous ceasefires. He noted that Russia had carried out more than 200 attacks on Saturday.
“So there is no faith (in them),” Zelensky said. “We understand who we are dealing with, we do not believe them.”
“This is not the first challenge, nor are these the first promises made by Russia to cease fire,” Zelensky said at a news conference with Czech President Petr Pavel.
He and Zelensky were meeting to discuss a Ukrainian-Czech pilot training facility for American F-16 fighters, which could not be established in Ukraine due to current security concerns, Pavel said.
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As for his view of Russia’s ceasefire talk, Pavel said, “Putin [could] end the war with a single decision, but he has not shown any willingness so far.”
The Czech Republic has welcomed more than half a million war refugees since the start of the full-scale invasion, and continues to supply the Ukrainian military with tanks, armored vehicles, and helicopters.
Notably, Ukraine received 500,000 artillery shells bought outside Europe last year under an initiative spearheaded by Prague and supported by many other countries. A total of 18 countries, including Canada, Germany and Portugal collected around $1.8 billion by June 2024 to buy 155mm shells for Ukraine, which has been battling Russia’s invasion since February 2022.
“The Czech artillery initiative is working brilliantly,” Zelensky said on Sunday.
He added that there would be a meeting Monday with “Czech defense companies,” with details to be announced later.
Zelensky is also slated to meet with Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and the speakers of both parliament chambers on Monday.
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