Ukraine 'Not Ready' For Ceasefire With Russia Says Zelensky: 'It Is A Trap'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday said Kyiv is not ready to negotiate with Moscow for a ceasefire, adding that any talks with Russia would likely be a trap.

Speaking at a press conference following the Second Summit of the Crimea Platform in Kyiv, Zelensky said engaging in a ceasefire agreement with Russia would mean Ukraine could not recapture occupied territories in the south.

"At the point where we are, we are not ready for a ceasefire. We explained that there will be no Minsk-3, Minsk-5, or Minsk-7. We will not play these games, we have lost part of our territories this way. And everyone understands this very well, everyone heard it from us. Because it is a trap. We understand that," Zelensky said at the press conference.

The Ukrainian president said that Russia's decision to invade Ukraine and kill the country's citizens indicate that they have never thought about entering into a dialogue with Kyiv.

"Russia, with daily attacks, breakthroughs, advances and retreats accompanied by bloody murder and violence, tells us all that they do not see any negotiations. And we explain that everything they did shows that they are not thinking about any dialogue and have never thought about it," he added.

Zelensky's latest remarks come as the war reaches its sixth month. In the beginning, Russia was widely perceived to have been preparing to claim a quick victory in Ukraine, with Moscow's troops attempting to storm and overtake the capital city of Kyiv.

However, Ukraine's defenses forced Russia to pull back from Kyiv and instead refocus their efforts into taking over the eastern Donbas region, Mariupol, Melitopol, Kherson and Snake Island.

In recent weeks, Ukraine has launched a counteroffensive in hopes of reclaiming occupied territories. Kyiv has destroyed key bridges in the Kherson region, including the Antonivskyi Bridge, that Russians used to resupply their troops across the Dnipro River.

Ukraine has also claimed responsibility for targeting and destroying three Russian facilities in annexed Crimea, including the Saki airbase, an ammunition depot in Maiske and an airfield in Gvardeyskoe.