May 7 (Reuters) – Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday that Russia’s announcement of a limited ceasefire to commemorate World War II exposed its leader’s “bizarre and inappropriate” logic.
In a nightly video address in the final hours before Russia’s ceasefire comes into force at midnight (2100 GMT), Zelensky said Moscow wanted to “hold a march, once a year, safely come to the square for an hour and then continue massacring, killing our people and waging war”.
“The Russians are already talking about a strike after May 9. What the Russian leadership is doing is strange and certainly inappropriate.”
There were no reports of Russian attacks or other military activity after the deadline. An air raid warning was issued for parts of Ukraine in the final hours before it came into force, with the air force issuing a brief alert for southeastern Ukraine after midnight.
Zelensky’s remarks appeared to have been prepared before the Russian Defense Ministry announced an expanded ceasefire from midnight on May 8 to May 10 to mark the anniversary of Nazi Germany’s defeat in Russia’s so-called Great Patriotic War.
As Ukraine’s top negotiator Rustem Umerov arrived in Miami to meet with U.S. negotiators on a peace deal, Zelensky said making peace in Europe was the best way to honor those who fought against Nazi Germany.
“Now, just as it did 81 years ago, the United States can stand fair and strong against the aggressor and help achieve peace,” he said. “What’s important is that the American people now view Russia that way – as an aggressor.”
Zelensky said that starting from the evening of May 5-6, Russia continued to ignore the ceasefire agreement proposed by Kiev in response to Russia’s ceasefire announcement. He said Ukraine had “only received new Russian attacks and new Russian threats.”
Moscow has not confirmed it will comply with Kyiv’s proposal.
Zelensky expressed satisfaction with the results of recent long-range strikes in Ukraine, including an attack on a small Russian missile carrier in the Caspian Sea and the second attack in eight days on a Perm Lukoil refinery near the Ural Mountains.
In earlier comments, Zelensky said that since the beginning of today, Russian forces have been using drones, missile strikes, shelling and attacks on Ukrainian front lines.
“In response to Russia’s attacks, we will continue to impose long-term sanctions. In response to Russia’s willingness to move toward diplomacy, we will move forward along the diplomatic path,” Zelensky said.
(Reporting by Ron Popeski; Editing by Bill Burkrot, Rosalba O’Brien and Stephen Coates)
