“They Want Silence for Themselves”: Zelenskyy Says Russia Isn’t Serious About Proposed Ceasefire

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia is not seriously considering a ceasefire and remains focused solely on safeguarding its Victory Day parade in Moscow, ArmyInform reported on May 7.

Zelenskyy outlined his position in a post on his Telegram channel, accusing Moscow of continuing strikes despite Kyiv's unilateral silence regime, which began at midnight on May 6. He noted that since the start of May 7, Russian forces had hit Ukraine with strike drones, missiles, and guided aerial bombs.

The president argued that Moscow's preoccupation with calm on Red Square while its forces continue to kill Ukrainian civilians defies reason. He added that any decision to halt hostilities depends entirely on Moscow's political will, while noting that Russia is already showing dependence on Ukraine's stance on the security of its parade.

"Ukraine will act justly — day by day. We proposed silence from midnight on May 6. Yesterday and today, this regime is being violated by Russia. In a mirror order and in response to Russian strikes — our long-range sanctions; in response to Russia's readiness to move to diplomacy, we will go the path of diplomacy," Zelenskyy wrote.

Kyiv announced its own ceasefire from midnight on May 6 after Russia unilaterally declared a truce for May 8 and 9 to coincide with the 81st anniversary of Victory Day. The Russian leader, Vladimir Putin, first floated the idea during a phone call with US President Donald Trump in late April. Moscow's defense ministry warned it would launch a massive missile strike on central Kyiv if the parade was disrupted.

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Russian forces breached the Ukrainian-proposed silence regime within minutes of its start, with explosions reported in Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Kryvyi Rih, Kherson, and Sumy.

Zelenskyy earlier reported 1,820 ceasefire violations by 10 a.m. on May 6, including assault attempts, airstrikes, and drone use.

Pointing to further evidence that Moscow was prioritizing the parade over peace, the president recently cited Russian movements of air defense systems from regional bases to reinforce the rings around the capital. The assessment came from a military intelligence briefing on Russian plans for temporarily occupied Ukrainian territory and the impact of Ukrainian deep strikes.

Zelenskyy noted that Moscow's emphasis on protecting the capital was creating new opportunities for Ukrainian long-range operations. He instructed military intelligence to prepare separate tasks focused on Russia's air defense network.

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