After Ukraine’s refusal of a three-day ceasefire proposed by Russia for its May 9 Victory Day Parade, Kremlin on Saturday issued a threat to Kyiv, saying that the Capital city might not see the “dawn of May 10”. The warning comes even as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy refused to guarantee the safety of foreign leaders attending Russia’s Victory Day Parade, dismissing Kremlin’s ceasefire proposal as a “theatrical production”. He further reiterated Ukraine’s call for a longer, 30-day ceasefire instead.
“We cannot be responsible for what happens on the territory of the Russian Federation. They are responsible for your security, and therefore we will not give you any guarantees,” Zelenskyy said, as per news agency Associated Press. Story continues below this ad The statements prompted a stark warning from top Kremlin official Dmitry Medvedev.
“Nobody is asking Zelenskyy for guarantees,” Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, wrote on Telegram. “But if his provocations materialise, nobody will guarantee the dawn of May 10 in Kyiv,” he added. The Russian government plans to mark the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany with a major parade in Moscow, and has extended invitations to leaders from over 20 countries, including Chinese President Xi Jinping and the presidents of Belarus, Serbia, and Venezuela.
However, Zelenskyy said Kyiv will not “play games to create a pleasant atmosphere to allow for Putin’s exit from isolation on May 9.” Called Zelenskyy’s warning a “verbal provocation,” Medvedev accused Ukraine of endangering the sanctity of Russia’s national commemoration. Meanwhile, some foreign leaders who have received invitations appear to be reconsidering their attendance. Reports suggest Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, both expected to defy EU calls to boycott the parade, have “suddenly taken ill.” Story continues below this ad India, too, is scaling back its participation, with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh likely to skip the event as per reports by PTI.
The Kremlin’s proposed ceasefire from May 8–10 has already been ruled out by Kyiv, which argues that a 72-hour pause is insufficient amid a war that, it claims, has become not just a battle with Russia but a broader confrontation with US President Donald Trump and NATO-aligned interests.
