Kremlin claims Putin backs truce, blames unresolved issues
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov claimed Vladimir Putin still supports a ceasefire in Ukraine but said unresolved issues are holding it back, state-run TASS reported from a briefing.
He added that “a number of questions need to be resolved” and these issues “are still up in the air.”
The proposal emerged nearly a month ago, yet Ukraine has repeatedly accused Moscow of ignoring peace overtures—a view echoed internationally, including by French President Emmanuel Macron.
Peskov also addressed the April 4 missile strike on Kryvyi Rih, where 20 people, including nine children, died.
When a journalist noted the civilian toll contradicted Russia’s Defense Ministry claim of targeting a military meeting, asking if it was a mistake, Peskov asserted Russian forces only hit military sites, not civilian ones.
Ukraine’s General Staff called this a lie, confirming a ballistic Iskander-M missile with a cluster warhead struck a residential area.
Background on the "truce"
The ceasefire idea surfaced during U.S.-mediated talks in Saudi Arabia on March 11, when Ukraine accepted a 30-day truce proposal, contingent on Russia’s agreement.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy affirmed Kyiv’s readiness, stressing it hinges on Moscow’s consent.
Putin initially signaled approval but cited unspecified matters needing discussion.
Both sides later agreed to halt energy infrastructure attacks, yet Russia has continued strikes on energy sites and civilians, including a thermal plant hit in Kherson on April 4, Zelenskyy reported.