The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, highlighted the current circumstances of the war in his evening address, particularly the reaction of the global community to Russian shelling and its motives. He emphasized that Russia is the main source of the war, and an official order for a ceasefire must come from Moscow to stop the hostilities.
This is reported by Kyiv24
“Now, after Easter, the whole world sees the real issues – the true reason why the fighting continues. Russia is the source of the war. A real order for a ceasefire must come from Moscow to the Russian army, and if there is no such strict Russian order for silence, then there is no silence”
Shelling and the Situation at the Front
Zelensky noted that during the Easter holidays, no air alerts were recorded in Ukraine, and silence was observed in certain areas of the front. However, he stressed that this does not mean the cessation of aggression from Russia. According to him, even during the festive period, Russian troops were conducting assaults, shelling Ukrainian positions and civilian infrastructure, and suffering losses, including among civilians.
In the last 24 hours, Russian shelling has significantly intensified: by 1 PM, nearly 3,000 instances of shelling had been recorded, including missile strikes, the use of Shahed kamikaze drones, and heavy weaponry. Russian forces continue to attack across the entire front, using missiles, aerial bombs, and other equipment.
International Negotiations and the Prospect of Peace
Zelensky emphasized that Russia has rejected not only Ukraine’s proposals for an unconditional and comprehensive ceasefire made during the negotiations in Jeddah but also the latest initiative for a cessation of hostilities after Easter. This demonstrates the true intentions of the aggressor country, the president pointed out.
Ukraine remains open to dialogue and proposes not to strike civilian infrastructure, awaiting a response from Moscow. The simplest path to peace is to halt missile and drone attacks, which will allow for the restoration of trust and the initiation of real negotiations.
Zelensky stressed: “Peace comes in silence. And only when there is true silence and when people trust the entire negotiation process can fundamental issues be resolved”.
Meetings took place in Paris on April 17 between representatives of Ukraine, the USA, and Europe regarding the end of the war. The next meeting is scheduled for April 23 in London.
According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, on the day of the Easter truce, Russian troops carried out over 1,800 shelling attacks on Ukrainian positions and settlements, using multiple launch rocket systems and kamikaze drones.