A Ceasefire with Russia Could Be Imposed at Any Moment – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky

A Ceasefire with Russia Could Be Imposed at Any Moment – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky
[Prague, May 5, 2025] — According to a Reuters report, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that a ceasefire with Russia in the ongoing war of over three years could be implemented at any moment. He urged Kyiv’s allies to increase pressure on Moscow to help enforce the ceasefire.

Speaking at a joint press conference in Prague with Czech President Petr Pavel, Zelensky said that without increased pressure on Russia, Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin would not take any meaningful steps to end the conflict. The Czech government has been a staunch supporter of Kyiv since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 and has led initiatives to supply Ukraine with heavy-caliber ammunition.

Zelensky's Demand: More Sanctions and Pressure on Russia

The Ukrainian president said, “Instead of displaying tanks in the May 9 Victory Day parade, Putin should be thinking about how to truly end this war.”

He added, “Three things are essential: more sanctions on Russia, continued support for Ukraine, and increased defense cooperation across Europe. Russia must know that Europeans will defend themselves.”

Moscow has said it expects a clear response from Zelensky regarding its three-day ceasefire proposal.

Czech President Pavel stated that so far, Russia has shown no signs of being willing to take steps to end the war.
He said, “If anyone holds all the keys to ending the war, it is President Putin. He could do it with a single decision. But no such intention has been seen yet.”

Under the Czech military initiative, the country has utilized its diplomatic, business, and industrial expertise to source large-caliber ammunition from around the world and send it to Ukraine, funded by NATO allies.

In February, Pavel noted that Ukraine had received 1.6 million rounds of heavy-caliber ammunition over the past year.

Zelensky said Ukraine hopes to receive 1.8 million shells under the same program in 2025.

Earlier, in a social media post, Zelensky praised the initiative as “effective” and mentioned that cooperation would also expand into military aviation, pilot training programs, and support for Ukraine’s F-16 fighter jet fleet.

Zelensky is accompanied on the trip by his wife, First Lady Olena Zelenska. On Monday, he is scheduled to meet Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, with the Czech ammunition program being a key topic on the agenda.

On Saturday, Zelensky wrote on social media platform X that he was preparing for upcoming foreign policy meetings focused on pushing Russia toward a ceasefire.

He also stated that he met with former U.S. President Donald Trump during Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican on April 26. Both agreed that a 30-day ceasefire would be a proper first step toward ending the war