Russia ignores ceasefire offer for 22 days, showing no will for peace – UK at OSCE
Neil Holland, Head of UK Delegation to the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), has stated that Russia continues its large-scale attacks on Ukraine and refuses to cease fire, demonstrating the Kremlin's unwillingness to pursue peace.
Source: Ukrinform citing Holland’s statement during the OSCE Permanent Council meeting in Vienna
Quote: "It is now a full 22 days since Ukraine expressed its readiness to accept an immediate 30-day ceasefire. The only condition that Ukraine attached was that Russia should agree to it too. Rather than grasp this opportunity for peace, Russia has chosen to continue to fight, a decision whose consequence is the needless sacrifice of more lives of soldiers and civilians on both sides."
Details: Holland emphasised that Russia had used over 1,000 drones to attack Ukrainian cities last week.
He believes Putin continues to distract and stall for time instead of seriously engaging in peace initiatives led by the United States.
Holland stressed that attempts to undermine the authority of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy are merely a manoeuvre to hide the main issue – Russia's refusal to come to the negotiating table and commit to an immediate ceasefire.
In this regard, he underlined: "we see no evidence" that Putin "is seriously preparing for peace".
Background:
- On 11 March, during talks in Saudi Arabia, Ukraine announced its readiness to implement a 30-day ceasefire, provided that Russia also adheres to it.
- Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported on 20 March that Putin is sowing confusion over the ceasefire by accusing Ukraine of violations even before an agreement is finalised and its details agreed upon.
- ISW later noted that the US, Ukraine and Russia are unlikely to agree on the terms of a full ceasefire within the next three weeks.
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