US Special Envoy Keith Kellogg dismissed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s three-day ceasefire proposal for Ukraine as “absurd,” according to Fox News.
Speaking on Fox News on 29 April, Kellogg expressed confidence in the United States’ position regarding Ukraine.“We’re in a pretty good position when it comes to the Ukrainians,” he said.
“And a three-day ceasefire is absurd,” Kellogg said, referring to Putin’s proposed pause in fighting from 8-10 May.
The Trump administration envoy said that President Trump wants a more comprehensive agreement. “Trump favors a comprehensive sea, air, land, infrastructure ceasefire for a minimum of 30 days, and then we can extend that,” he said.
Kellogg placed responsibility on Russia to move forward with negotiations. “When you look at everything that the Ukrainians are willing to work with, now it’s over to the Russians, over to Putin,” he noted. “We’ve got one side and you need to come to the other side. And I think we are close.”
Putin recently announced a truce in the Russia-Ukraine war coinciding with Russia’s Victory Day celebrations. The ceasefire would start at midnight on 8 May and last until midnight on 11 May.
White House spokesperson Caroline Levitt said, following the announcement, that US President Donald Trump seeks a “complete ceasefire” in Ukraine.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni criticized Putin’s proposal, saying that a three-day ceasefire is insufficient and that a just, lasting peace is needed instead.
According to UK Defence Intelligence, the three-day truce announced by Putin is likely intended to portray Russia as open to negotiations and to prevent Ukraine’s long-range strikes, while maintaining Russia’s positions on the front lines.
The recently announced Putin’s proposal for “truce” follows a previous Easter ceasefire when Putin ordered a halt to “all combat operations” from 6:00 pm on 19 April until midnight on 21 April. Ukraine documented over 3,000 violations of the “truce” by Russian forces on 20 April alone.
Read also:
- Victory at any cost: Moscow will drain its people to feed front, expert says
- Zelenskyy calls Putin’s 9 May truce proposal a deceptive maneuver
- Trump wants “complete ceasefire” in Ukraine, White House reacts to Putin’s “truce” on Victory Day
