"Now we have all heard from russia very predictable, very manipulative words from putin in response to the idea of silence on the front—he is essentially preparing a refusal as of now. Putin, of course, is afraid to tell President Trump directly that he wants to continue this war, that he wants to kill Ukrainians. And that is why they, there in moscow, are wrapping the idea of ceasefire with such preconditions that nothing works out at all or that it drags on as long as possible", - said President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky in a video address on March 13.
"Putin often does this—he does not say 'no' directly but makes it so that everything is delayed and normal decisions become impossible. We believe that all of this now is yet another set of russian manipulations", - Zelensky emphasized.
"There was an American proposal for unconditional silence in the sky, at sea, and on the front. We in Ukraine have accepted this proposal. From the American side, we heard that there is a willingness to organize control and verification. And this can really be ensured—with American capabilities, with European capabilities. And so that during the silence, answers to all questions about long-term security and real, reliable peace can be prepared and a plan to end the war can be put on the table. Ukraine is ready to work as quickly and as constructively as possible. We have spoken about this to American representatives, our European partners know this, and so do all our partners in the world", - the President noted.
"We are not setting conditions that complicate things. Russia is doing that. As we have always said, the only one who will delay everything, the only one who will be unconstructive, is russia. They need war. Putin has stolen years of peace and continues this war—day after day. Now he needs to be pressured. Sanctions need to be imposed that will help. We will continue working with our American partners, our European partners, and everyone in the world who wants peace to force russia to end the war", - Zelensky assured.