President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that Russia is seeking a short-term truce solely to secure its military parade in Moscow on May 9 from potential Ukrainian strikes. In an interview with Bloomberg on Thursday, April 30, the Head of State highlighted the hidden risks associated with both brief and prolonged ceasefire initiatives proposed by the aggressor state. Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukrainian authorities are carefully analyzing such proposals to prevent the enemy from using them for a tactical advantage on the front line.
“They want the parade to pass peacefully for a few hours, and then resume the attacks immediately,” Zelenskyy said. He made it clear that Ukraine will not allow this ceasefire to become a tactical deception by Russia. At the same time, Kyiv continues to support silence initiatives that serve a genuine humanitarian purpose, such as protecting the civilian population and facilitating large-scale exchanges of prisoners of war. “We always react positively to genuine ceasefire proposals with Russia, if such proposals exist,” the President added.
The historical experience of this war proves that Russia has repeatedly used various holidays as a pretext to manipulate public opinion. Any past initiatives by Moscow regarding temporary truces have invariably resulted in new missile strikes on peaceful Ukrainian cities or intensified offensive operations on the front lines. That is why Ukraine’s military and political leadership remains steadfast: a temporary ceasefire must be based solely on clear agreements verified by the international community, precluding any covert accumulation of Russian forces.
The context surrounding the May holidays in Russia this year is particularly tense. It was previously revealed that the Kremlin would hold a significantly scaled-down version of the Victory Day parade. Russian authorities attribute this to alleged “terrorist activity” by Ukraine, though the real reason lies in security fears amid regular and successful attacks by Ukrainian drones on strategic facilities within the Russian Federation. These long-range drone strikes have effectively disrupted Russian logistics and the oil industry, explaining why Moscow is desperately seeking security guarantees for at least a few hours on May 9.
In addition to a short-term truce, Russia might attempt to leverage a longer ceasefire. According to the Ukrainian leader, Moscow could raise this issue in exchange for the lifting of critical sanctions on specific Russian enterprises. In particular, it is known that the Russians aim to abolish the ban on using the international SWIFT payment system for their banks. “All this represents a major risk for Ukraine,” Zelenskyy stated. Such agreements could allow the Russian economy to catch its breath and accumulate resources for further aggression, which is completely unacceptable to Kyiv.
The diplomatic background of this situation is also gaining momentum. The day before, the Kremlin made a high-profile statement claiming that Vladimir Putin held a phone call with US President Donald Trump. During this conversation, the Russian leader supposedly “expressed readiness” to declare a so-called “truce” on May 9. This information prompted a swift reaction from Kyiv. Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukrainian representatives would contact Trump’s team in the near future to clarify all the details of the Russian initiative.
The Head of State made it clear to Western partners that Ukraine is absolutely not satisfied with a fictitious truce lasting only a few hours for the sake of a television broadcast on Red Square. Any pauses in hostilities must have a strategic meaning and contribute to the establishment of a just peace, rather than providing the aggressor with a respite to regroup its forces.