Top Ukrainian aide says Russia didn't ask for a 'short truce,' clarifying Zelenskyy remark - POLITICO

Halifax, Nova Scotia — Russia has not straight asked Ukraine for a speedy warring interruption successful the war, a apical adjutant to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday, clarifying a remark by his brag the time before.

On Friday, Zelenskyy told an assemblage astatine the Halifax International Security Forum that Kyiv rejected Russia’s penchant for a “short truce,” leaving unfastened the question of whether Moscow made the petition of the Ukrainian administration.

Andriy Yermak, who heads the Ukrainian statesmanlike office, stated successful a virtual interrogation that the Kremlin did not suggest specified a intermission to the Ukrainian government. “We person not [had] immoderate authoritative exertion from the Russian broadside astir immoderate conversations, immoderate negotiations,” helium said.

The remark came during a delicate clip successful the brutal nine-month war. Top U.S. and European officials are nudging Ukraine to invited a peaceful solution to the struggle that Russia started. Ukraine truthful acold has rejected those appeals, saying that immoderate determination for talks present would payment Moscow much than Kyiv.

In fact, Yermak signaled an upcoming subject run successful Crimea, the peninsula Russia claimed to annex successful 2014, though helium wouldn’t corroborate an nonstop timeline for its start.

“This war, it continues,” helium said, adding that “I’m sure” a run to retake Crimea volition happen.

Earlier connected Saturday, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Volodymyr Havrylov told Sky News that Ukrainian troops would beryllium successful Crimea by December and that the warfare would beryllium implicit by adjacent spring.