Zelensky says Russia choosing war as dual ceasefires falter

KYIV, May 7 ------ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia had decided to reject efforts to halt fighting and save lives by launching fresh attacks on Ukraine, which had called a unilateral ceasefire.

His comments raise the specter of retaliatory Ukrainian strikes on Moscow during mass public events celebrating the end of World War II on May 9, after the Kremlin announced it would hold off attacks on Ukraine that day, hoping Kyiv would do the same. "Russia's choice is an obvious spurning of a ceasefire and of saving lives," Zelenskyy wrote on social media.

Ukraine, he added, had earlier vowed to "act in kind" to the Russian ceasefire proposal this weekend, when Russians typically flood the streets across the country to mark victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. "It is obvious to any reasonable person that a full-scale war and the daily murdering of people are a bad time for public 'celebrations'," the Ukrainian leader said.

Kyiv said Russia had attacked eastern and southern Ukraine with more than 100 drones overnight, a day after Russian strikes killed almost 30 Ukrainian civilians. Moscow had never said it would abide by Kyiv's call to halt fire from midnight on May 6 -- a counter-truce Zelensky proposed after Russia announced a ceasefire to cover its Victory Day parade Saturday on Red Square in Moscow. Zelensky had dismissed Russia's "utter cynicism" for calling for a ceasefire to protect the parade -- one of the most important days of the year for Russian leader Vladimir Putin -- while launching deadly strikes on his country.

Source: manilatimes.net