Russia has rejected a temporary ceasefire in Ukraine, dismissing proposals for a one-month halt in fighting or a stop in aerial and naval attacks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron had floated these ideas as a possible first step towards a peace deal.
Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, stated that firm agreements on a final settlement are needed, and that any temporary or piecemeal ceasefire is unacceptable. Russia has stuck to its hardline demands, including not ceding captured Ukrainian territory and rolling back NATO’s presence in Europe.