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Ukraine Holds Talks With US Special Envoys Witkoff and Kellogg on 30-Day Ceasefire

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Amira Barkhush
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Ukraine Holds Talks With US Special Envoys Witkoff and Kellogg on 30-Day Ceasefire
Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak attends a panel discussion at the “Ukraine 2024 Independence Forum”, Kyiv. Ukraine, August 27, 2024. (Source: Getty Images)

Ukraine has held a series of online meetings with representatives from the United States, European Union, Nordic countries, and Baltic states to discuss a proposed 30-day ceasefire, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak, stated on his Telegram channel on May 8.

According to Yermak, the discussions included US presidential special representatives Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg; Emmanuel Bonne, diplomatic adviser to the President of France; Jonathan Powell, adviser to the UK Prime Minister; and Günter Sautter, adviser to the German Chancellor.

On the Ukrainian side, participants included Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Ihor Zhovkva, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Daria Zarivna, Chief Operating Officer of the Bring Kids Back UA initiative, and Oleksandr Bevz, a non-staff adviser to the head of the Presidential Office.

Yermak stated that Ukraine underscored the need for a full and unconditional ceasefire as a fundamental prerequisite for establishing a just and lasting peace. He dismissed the Kremlin’s separate proposal for a so-called “three-day truce,” saying it was limited to securing the Victory Day parade in Moscow and amounted to political manipulation.

“We also discussed mechanisms of pressure should Russia reject the initiative or violate any agreements,” Yermak wrote. “A 30-day ceasefire is a test of sincerity. If Moscow truly wants peace, now is the time to act. If it chooses escalation, the response must be united and decisive.”

Yermak also stated that Ukraine supports a bill introduced by US Senator Lindsey Graham proposing secondary sanctions against Russia.

On May 7, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated Ukraine’s stance on the ongoing war, noting that the offer to halt strikes and hold a ceasefire for at least 30 days remains available to Russia.

Previously, on April 29, the Kremlin dismissed Ukraine’s call for a 30-day ceasefire, with Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson insisting that such a truce is impossible without resolving unspecified “nuances.”

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