Putin poised to reject ceasefire proposal, Zelenskyy says

He said this in his evening video address.

“Right now, we are all hearing very predictable and manipulative words from Putin in response to the idea of a ceasefire on the front lines—he is essentially preparing a rejection at this moment. Putin, of course, is afraid to say directly to President Trump that he wants to continue this war, that he wants to kill Ukrainians. And that is why, in Moscow, they are surrounding the idea of a ceasefire with conditions that make it impossible or at least delay it as much as possible,” Zelenskyy stated.

The Ukrainian president emphasized that Kyiv considers Russia’s statements to be yet another form of manipulation.

He also spoke about the U.S. proposal for an unconditional ceasefire, which Ukraine has accepted.

“We have heard from the American side that they are ready to organize monitoring and verification. And this can realistically be ensured—with American capabilities, with European capabilities. And during the ceasefire, answers can be prepared for all questions regarding long-term security and a real, reliable peace, as well as a plan to end the war,” Zelenskyy continued, expressing Ukraine’s readiness for swift action.

Zelenskyy stressed that Kyiv is not setting any conditions that would complicate the process—rather, it is Russia that is doing so.

“As we have always said, the only party that will stall everything, the only one that will be unconstructive, is Russia. They need war. Putin has stolen years of peace and continues this war—day after day. Right now, pressure must be applied to him. Sanctions must be imposed that will have an impact. We will continue working with our American and European partners and with everyone in the world who wants peace to force Russia to end the war,” the Ukrainian leader concluded.

• On March 11, a meeting between Ukrainian and American delegations took place in Jeddah, after which Kyiv agreed to a 30-day ceasefire with Russia, and the U.S. committed to resuming intelligence-sharing and security assistance.
• Putin’s aide, Yuri Ushakov, stated that the 30-day ceasefire agreement is merely a temporary respite for Ukrainian forces.
• Meanwhile, the Kremlin leader said that Russia agrees to the proposal to halt combat operations in Ukraine but insists that it “must lead to a lasting peace.”
• On March 13, U.S. President Donald Trump commented on Putin’s statement regarding the 30-day ceasefire proposal, saying that it was not complete.