Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga said Ukraine and its allies were ready for a “completely unconditional ceasefire” with Russia for at least 30 days, starting Monday.
The comments came after leaders of four major European countries visited Kyiv, as calls grew for Moscow to agree to a ceasefire and begin peace talks to end the nearly three-year conflict.
It came on the final day of a unilateral three-day ceasefire declared by Russia, which Ukraine says has been violated by Russian troops more than 700 times.
In March, the United States proposed an immediate, limited 30-day ceasefire, which Ukraine accepted, but the Kremlin insisted on more favorable terms for itself.
The leaders of Britain, France, Germany and Poland arrived at the Kyiv railway station and soon met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to take part in a ceremony on Independence Square marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
They lit candles at a makeshift memorial in the form of a flag in honor of the fallen Ukrainian soldiers and civilians who fell victim to Russian aggression.
This visit was the first joint visit of the leaders of the four countries to Ukraine, and Friedrich Merz is making his first visit as the new Chancellor of Germany.
On Thursday, Mr. Sibiga described the Russian ceasefire as a “farce,” accusing Russian forces of violating it more than 700 times less than a day after it officially came into effect. Both sides also said attacks on their troops continued that day.
“We reaffirm our support for President (Donald) Trump's calls for a peace agreement and call on Russia to stop obstructing efforts to secure a lasting peace,” the leaders said in a joint statement.
“Together with the United States, we call on Russia to agree to a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire to create space for negotiations on a just and sustainable peace.”
Meanwhile, Russia continues to strike along a nearly 1,000-mile front line, including deadly attacks on residential areas with no obvious military targets.
On Saturday morning, local authorities in the Sumy region of northern Ukraine reported that three civilians had been killed and four others injured as a result of Russian shelling over the past 24 hours.
Regional Governor Alexander Prokudin added that another civilian was killed on the spot on Saturday in a Russian drone strike on the southern city of Kherson.
French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking to journalists in Kyiv, noted: “That
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
