Zelensky proposed a 60-day ceasefire to Putin – and the Kremlin refused

Ukrainian President Zelensky proposed a 60-day ceasefire to allow elections, but the Kremlin rejected the offer and clarified that it seeks a long-term peace agreement. Background: Trump's efforts for a ceasefire in the energy sector and tensions between Washington and Kyiv.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky proposed to Russian President Vladimir Putin a 60-day ceasefire that would allow presidential elections to be held in Ukraine. The Kremlin rejected the proposal today (Monday) through Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who clarified that Moscow seeks a long-term peace agreement and not a temporary truce. Zelensky raised the proposal in an interview with ABC News on Sunday. Russia claims that the lack of elections in Ukraine undermines Zelensky's legitimacy, while Ukrainian law prohibits holding elections during wartime. The rejection comes against the backdrop of US President Donald Trump's efforts to promote a ceasefire in the energy sector, announced on Sunday. Zelensky said Ukraine learned of the announcement from the media and emphasized that any step must be mutual. Meanwhile, tensions are rising between Trump and Zelensky, after Trump criticized the Ukrainian president and called for his replacement.