Putin’s 3-day ceasefire proposal just ploy to avoid Victory Day disruption

Russian President Vladimir Putin

It is no coincidence that Moscow’s victory celebrations marking the end of the Second World War are set to take place this Friday in Red Square. The last thing he wants, or needs, is any disruption of the Victory Day parade. The kind of disruption for example that a potential Ukranian drone attack would have on the proceedings. His call or a pause in the hostilities on “humanitarian grounds” is laughable.

Is it humanitarian to kidnap Ukranian children and resettle them with Russian families against their will? To continue to order the bombing of civilian targets in Ukraine in a forlorn attempt to demoralise the Ukranian population? To target heating installations in Ukraine in the depths of winter? To send hundreds of thousands of young Russian men to their deaths on the war’s frontline? All because of his maniacal desire to absorb Ukraine into a “super” Russia and eradicate its history, language and culture.

Ukraine has already agreed to a proposed 30-day ceasefire, but Russia imposed impossible conditions on its agreement rendering it unworkable. Ukraine President, Volodymyr Zelensky, said of Putin’s proposal: “They kill us until the 7th, pause for a few days, then start attacking us again on the 11th.” He also reiterated his call for a longer, meaningful ceasefire.

The drone attacks on Moscow this week, causing the temporary shutdown of the city’s airports, will cause extreme embarrassment to Putin, after all Russia was only involved in “a special military operation” and one that was meant to be done and dusted in a few days. Yet here we are, more than three years later and Ukraine still stands defiant and determined not to back down and shows no sign of doing so.

Well, I am not buying it. Putin caused this war and he should suffer the consequences. His offer of a temporary cessation of hostilities is purely and simply a ploy to get through Friday’s celebrations without the prospect of Ukranian interference. Humanitarian? He doesn’t understand the meaning of the word!