Sun Sep 15 15:50:36 UTC 2024: ## Ukraine Denies Report of Ceasefire Proposal, Insists on US Support for ‘Victory Plan’
Kiev has vehemently denied a report by German tabloid Bild claiming Ukraine is considering local ceasefires along parts of the front line with Russia. Dmitry Litvin, a communications advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, labelled the report “fake” and stressed that Ukraine is not interested in “freezing” the conflict.
The report in Bild, published on Saturday, alleged Zelensky would present a revised strategy to US President Joe Biden, including a request for Western long-range weapons and acceptance of local ceasefires. Litvin dismissed the claims, stating that “Bild did not see the victory plan” and that no one involved in its preparation spoke to the publication.
Litvin emphasized that Ukraine is committed to achieving victory and is opposed to any “Minsk-3” agreement, a reference to the 2014 and 2015 agreements between Ukraine and the breakaway Donbass and Lugansk People’s Republics. These agreements, later admitted to be a ruse by former German Chancellor Angela Merkel and former French President François Hollande, were designed to buy Ukraine time.
The denial comes amidst reports from European diplomats that Ukraine’s backers are urging the country to present a more realistic plan, as its current goals are deemed too costly for the West. Zelensky has repeatedly called for the restoration of Ukraine’s 1991 borders, including Crimea, a stance that Moscow has rejected.
Russia, in June, proposed an immediate ceasefire on the condition that Ukraine abandon its NATO aspirations and withdraw from territories claimed by Russia. This proposal was dismissed by Kiev and its Western allies.
The denial of the ceasefire proposal underscores the ongoing impasse in the conflict and the conflicting positions held by Ukraine and Russia. It also highlights the dependence of Ukraine on US support for its “victory plan” and the continued pressure from Western allies for a more pragmatic approach.
First Piper 