Zelensky responded harshly to one of Russia’s proposals
3 June 00:25
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has criticized Russia’s proposal for a ceasefire for two or three days to remove the dead from the battlefield. The head of state said this during a conversation with journalists, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
During the talks, Russia said it was ready for a two- or three-day ceasefire to retrieve the dead. Ukraine demands a ceasefire for at least 30 days, as agreed with the “coalition of the willing.”
“They (the Russians – ed.) do not see such a ceasefire (temporary ceasefire on both sides – ed.) yet. As they said, they are ready for a ceasefire for two or three days to take the dead from the battlefield. I think they are idiots, because, in principle, the ceasefire is to avoid killing. You can see the attitude. For them, it’s just a matter of a short pause in the war,” Zelensky said.
He emphasized that the military already exchanges bodies on the battlefield, and no separate negotiations are needed.
According to him, with this proposal, the Russians are simply “feeding” the Americans so that they postpone the decision to impose sanctions.
The President added:
“I really want our American partners to take strong steps to pass a package of sanctions in the Senate to push the Russians to a ceasefire with strong sanctions. They don’t understand any other way yet.”
What the two countries agreed on at the talks in Turkey
According to Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, the parties agreed to exchange seriously wounded and seriously ill prisoners in an “all-for-all” format.
They also agreed to exchange all soldiers aged 18 to 25 years. An agreement was also reached on the return of 6,000 bodies of dead soldiers,” Umerov said.
He added the following:
“As for the negotiations on a ceasefire for at least 3 months, as proposed by Ukraine, the Russians have only today handed over their proposals.
In addition, Ukraine has handed over to Russia a list of hundreds of Ukrainian children whom it demands to return, said Andriy Yermak, head of the OP.
“The return of Ukrainian children is an integral part of a just and lasting peace and a key element of trust, the first test of sincerity of intentions. We are waiting for a response. The ball is in Russia’s court,” he said.
Meanwhile, Russia continued to demand the complete withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the territories it claims. These are Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kherson regions.
Talks in Istanbul on June 2: What the Ukrainian side says
According to Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Serhiy Kyslytsya, after the talks in Istanbul, Russia refused to cease fire.
I would like to note that the Russian side refuses to cease fire. But experts will continue to consider it,” Kyslytsya said at a briefing on June 2.
According to him, the head of the Russian delegation to the talks in Istanbul, Vladimir Medinsky, said that Russia had offered Ukraine a ceasefire for two or three days in certain areas of the frontline.
In addition, Kislytsya said that Russia opposed the presence of US representatives at today’s talks.
“At the previous meeting, Russia was against the presence of the US delegation. This is very sad, because the United States plays an important role and is an important guarantor of trust,” said the Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine.
The diplomat added that to ensure long-term security in Europe, the United States should be involved in the negotiation process. According to Kyslytsia, it is also impossible to talk about long-term security without Europe.
