Russian Presidential Assistant Yuri Ushakov confirmed that Russia does not plan to extend the truce with Ukraine.
“It was agreed that the truce designated for Victory Day will last three days: the ninth, tenth and eleventh,” Ushakov told reporters (hereinafter referred to as TASS). He added that there are no other agreements.
Ushakov described Trump’s hope that the truce would last longer as “unsupported.” The Russian president’s aide said: “The person hopes, and perhaps believes. Why not, and contributes to that,” adding that the continuation of the truce depends not only on Trump, “but also on the other two parties.”
Ushakov said that the three-day ceasefire, which was announced by US President Donald Trump on the evening of May 8, was coordinated by representatives of the Russian Federation and the United States for two days.
Ushakov also said that preparing for the exchange of prisoners of war between Russia and Ukraine, which Trump announced, will take time. “We first need to prepare this list, find real people, then reach an agreement, and start physical exchanges,” the assistant to the President of the Russian Federation said.
According to Ushakov, on the first day of the armistice, the Russian and Ukrainian sides must “actively work with the lists, and if they agree through their channels, the exchange will begin.” He did not give more precise dates.
In addition, Ushakov said that Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky Not transferred There is no message to Putin via Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, whom the Russian president met on May 9. According to the Russian president’s aide, Fico only told Putin what he talked about with Zelensky during their last meeting.
Ushakov said: “Our president answered several times that if he (Zelensky) wants, let him contact Moscow. We are ready to accept and negotiate.”