- Ukraine’s European allies meet with Zelenski and propose that the meni enter into force on Monday, although Russia has already refused. The leaders of the volunteer coalition underline the importance of continuing to provide military assistance to Ukraine so that it has what it needs to "defend itself". On Victory Day, Putin declares a three-day unilateral ceasefire, but Ukraine and Russia accuse each other of continuing their attacks.
Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski met on Saturday with authorities from several European countries of the Volunteers coalition to discuss peace negotiations between Kiev and Moscow. The meeting was attended by French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who threatened Russia with economic sanctions if the 30-day truce proposed by Ukraine was not approved.
Ukraine's allies stressed the importance of continuing to provide military assistance to Kiev, not only so that it has "what it needs to defend itself," but also "for the security of Europe as a whole." However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov announced at his usual daily press conference that Russia would not accept the ceasefire proposed by Ukraine if the latter continued to receive weapons. In addition, Peskov said that they were accustomed to sanctions, so intimidating them with sanctions is "a waste of time."
In response to Ukraine’s proposal, Putin proposed to Zelenski to have face-to-face peace negotiations in Turkey. At a press conference on Sunday, the Ukrainian president stated that he was ready to meet with his Russian counterpart on Thursday and that U.S. President Donald Trump had ordered him to do so. Zelensky invited Putin to meet.
Victory Day has not stopped the attacks
On Victory Day, the Red Army defeated the Nazis at the end of World War II, and last week’s Friday marked the 80th anniversary of that event. On the occasion of this celebration, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a ceasefire that should have lasted from Thursday to Sunday, but Ukraine did not accept it, arguing that instead it wanted to sign a 30-day menial agreement. On the same day that the unilateral ceasefire took effect, the Ukrainian Prosecutor’s Office denounced that Russia had attacked a residential building in the city of Sumi and killed a woman.
Moscow denied this accusation in Kiev, noting that it had suspended "all combat operations" on the occasion of the Victory Day. In addition, Russia denounced that the Ukrainian army had tried to penetrate the Kursk region – a large area of the region was occupied by Kiev in early August, until it was recently expelled by Moscow.
Putin meets with Xi Jinping
With 80 years of victory over the Nazis, leaders from several international countries came to Russia last week. For example, on Wednesday Putin met with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his Cuban counterpart Miguel Diaz-Canel, who did the same with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday, about which the Kremlin said in a statement that the relations between the two countries are "at the best time in history." The two leaders also stressed that they are pushing for a “more just and democratic multipolar world.”