Ukraine War: What does Putin want to achieve with the ‘three-day temporary ceasefire’?

 

Ukraine War: What does Putin want to achieve with the ‘three-day temporary

ceasefire’?

When is a ceasefire a serious attempt to establish peace? And when is it just a publicity stunt? This is a question that has been raised several times in recent days. Most often, the question has been related to Russian President Vladimir Putin, as short ceasefires are becoming a Russian tradition.

First, Putin announced a 30-hour ceasefire on Easter and presented it as a humanitarian gesture. Now, Putin has unilaterally declared a three-day ceasefire in early May, which will last from May 8 to May 10. In those days, it will be 80 years since the end of World War II.

In a statement, the Kremlin said that all military operations would stop for 72 hours. The statement also mentioned humanitarian gestures and made it clear that Russia expects Ukraine to comply.

In response to the proposal, Ukraine has questioned why Russia cannot immediately declare a ceasefire and has also called for the duration of the ceasefire to be at least 30 days.

The question is whether this is a serious and sincere attempt by the Russian president, who invaded Ukraine three years ago, to stop the fighting? Or is he just doing an exercise to show off to US President Donald Trump?

Russian critics will surely see it as a publicity stunt. During the Easter ceasefire, Ukraine repeatedly accused Russian troops of violating it.

By announcing a 30-hour pause in the fighting, Moscow tried to send the White House a message that Russia is the peacemaker in this war while Ukraine is the aggressor. Russia accused Ukraine of prolonging the war by ignoring peace offers.

But Donald Trump’s recent statements show that this attempt has not been successful. "There is no reason to fire missiles at urban areas," Trump wrote on the platform Truth Social.

"I think he (Putin) doesn't want to stop the war and now we have to do something different, through banking or sanctions because too many people are dying," Trump said.

And in such a situation, Russia has once again announced a ceasefire, which is a little longer than the previous ceasefire, that is, three days. And this time, there is talk of humanitarian sympathy.

Is this also an attempt to show the United States that Russia’s intentions are positive? And that Russia is not bad in the midst of all this?

If so, this attempt may not have been successful either. White House Press Secretary Carolyn Levitt said on the offer of a temporary ceasefire that ‘the US president has made it clear that he wants a permanent ceasefire so that the bloodshed ends and he is becoming increasingly frustrated with the leaders of both countries.’

This is an indication that the US president’s patience with Russia is running out, although in recent months the president of Ukraine has been the target of his criticism.

Last month, the Trump administration pressured Russia and Ukraine to agree to a 30-day ceasefire. Ukraine was supportive, but Russia refused.

But now senior Russian officials are criticizing Ukraine after Putin offered a three-day ceasefire.

“I am not sure that Zelensky will support our president’s decision and accept a ceasefire,” the speaker of the lower house of the Russian parliament told Russian state TV.

That’s not very encouraging, and that too so soon after the ceasefire was announced.