Kremlin Rejects Zelenskyy’s 60-Day Truce, Says Putin Could Halt Attacks on Ukraine’s Polling Day

The Kremlin on Monday rejected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s proposal for a 60-day ceasefire to allow Ukraine to hold presidential elections, but said Russian President Vladimir Putin could order a halt to attacks on the day of voting.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Moscow wanted a lasting peace agreement rather than a temporary suspension of hostilities. However, he indicated that Putin would be prepared to instruct Russian forces not to attack Ukraine on polling day if Kyiv proceeded with elections.

“Please tell Putin, give us two months, 60 days of total ceasefire, 60 days, and we will organise elections,” Zelenskyy said in an interview with ABC’s This Week on Sunday.

Rejecting the proposal, Peskov reiterated Russia’s position that a temporary truce would not resolve the conflict.

“In the Kremlin, both President Putin and officials at other levels have repeatedly stated that we do not want a ceasefire,” Peskov told reporters. “We want long-term peace and are prepared to do everything possible to achieve it.”

According to Russian media reports, Peskov also questioned Kyiv’s intentions, alleging that Ukraine wanted a 60-day pause to regroup and continue fighting. Moscow has repeatedly criticised Ukraine for not holding elections, while Kyiv has maintained that wartime conditions make a vote difficult.

Ukraine suspended elections under martial law following Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.

The dispute over elections comes amid uncertainty surrounding a separate energy ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump over the weekend. Trump said Russia and Ukraine had agreed to stop attacks on energy infrastructure, but Zelenskyy said Kyiv was still awaiting details of the arrangement.

Zelenskyy on Monday accused Russia of violating the proposed truce after strikes targeted energy facilities, including a thermal power plant in Kharkiv. He urged Washington to ensure Moscow honoured any agreement.

“There were Russian violations of the energy ceasefire announced by President Trump,” Zelenskyy said, according to Reuters.

He added that Ukraine had not attacked Russian oil refineries overnight and said Kyiv would consider suspending such strikes if Moscow stopped targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure and other critical facilities.

Peskov declined to provide details about the energy arrangement, saying contacts were continuing.