Today, it is irresponsible to propose a ceasefire in Ukraine without providing our country with real, effective security guarantees, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said at a press conference in Budapest.
“Talk of a ceasefire is dangerous when there are no security guarantees for Ukraine – clear, real, ones that we can trust, not merely rhetorical assurances. Such a ceasefire prepares the ground for continued occupation of Ukraine and the destruction of our independence and sovereignty,” he emphasized.
The President noted that such proposals come from those who have not experienced war, don’t understand its consequences and risks, and from those who converse with Putin but have never had a war with him.
"A simple ceasefire is a model we are hearing about from some leaders here, from Brazil, from China, and importantly, we are definitely hearing it from Russia. This is a great model for Russia. A ceasefire and then the rest? We need to clearly understand what ‘the rest’ is,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy explained.
The President reminded that after Russia’s aggression began in 2014, there were already ceasefire agreements.
"There was not even an exchange of prisoners. People have been in prison for 10 years. After the ceasefire, the conflict was frozen,” he emphasized.
At the same time, Volodymyr Zelenskyy informed that the European Political Community Summit yielded new defense agreements to strengthen Ukrainian forces, along with positive steps toward reinforcing air defense before winter.
Additionally, he noted an increase in the number of countries supporting Ukraine.
“We had the inaugural Peace Summit, which was attended by more than 100 countries and international institutions. A fairly large number of countries voted in favor of resolutions against Russian aggression and in support of Ukraine at the UN – more than 140. This is the number of countries that support Ukraine, stand against Russian aggression, recognize the territorial integrity and sovereignty of any independent country,” the Head of State noted.
