Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Saturday that Kyiv cannot guarantee the safety of world leaders attending Moscow’s celebration of the 80th anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany on 9 May.
Russia plans to commemorate its 1945 victory with a military parade and has invited several global leaders, including China’s President Xi Jinping, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Despite warnings from the European Commission about potential negative repercussions, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico have accepted the invitation.
“We do not know what Russia will do that day. They might cause fires and explosions and blame us for it,” Zelenskyy told journalists.
President Putin has suggested a ceasefire from 8 to 10 May, but Zelenskyy expressed reluctance to engage in short-term pauses. He stated, “It is impossible to reach an agreement in three, five, or seven days… It is not practical to devise a plan to end the war in such a short period.”
Zelenskyy further remarked, “No one will support Putin in playing such games and creating a relaxed atmosphere as he steps out of isolation on 9 May. This includes making world leaders feel comfortable and safe if they are attending the celebrations at Red Square.”
He reiterated his call for an “unconditional and complete ceasefire.” The White House also advocated maintaining a “permanent” ceasefire, in addition to the three-day pause proposed by Putin. Zelenskyy mentioned that, since their meeting at the Vatican on 26 April, former US President Trump views the conflict “a little differently.”
