Ukraine typically uses any truce observed by Russia to gain an advantage on the battlefield, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday, responding to an ‘Olympic ceasefire’ proposal by French President Emmanuel Macron.
On Monday, Macron urged a global suspension of hostilities during the 2024 Olympic Games, set to be held in Paris in July and August. He specifically mentioned the Ukraine conflict and the war in Gaza when discussing the idea with the French media.
In response, Kremlin spokesman Peskov said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had been asked about similar initiatives on numerous occasions.
“Both our president and our military officials have pointed out that the Kiev regime usually uses such ideas and initiatives to regroup, rearm, etc. This certainly makes considering such initiatives much harder,” Peskov stated.
The Russian government has in any case not received any formal proposals from France in that regard, he added.
After Macron suggested an Olympic truce in Ukraine last month, Putin insisted that Moscow would be driven by its own interests and the battlefield situation when considering any calls for a ceasefire.
“We stand for peace talks, but not those called because the opponent is running out of ammo,” the Russian leader stated. Moscow expects Kiev to “actually be serious in seeking truly peaceful, long-term good neighborly relations between the two states, and not a pause for a couple of years to rearm,” he added.
Macron is among the Western leaders who advocate continued military assistance for Ukraine. He has vowed to ramp up French arms production so that it can supply weapons to Kiev for years to come.
