‘Why Give Them A Break’: Putin Accuses Ukraine Of Terrorism, Questions Full Ceasefire

Last Updated:June 04, 2025, 20:57 IST

Moscow calls recent bridge attacks “terrorist acts” aimed at sabotaging negotiations, while Kyiv denies involvement.

Russian President Vladimir Putin enters a hall for a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow. (IMAGE: AFP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday appeared to rule out any full ceasefire in Ukraine, saying Kyiv would use any pause in fighting to rearm. He also accused Ukraine of carrying out “terrorist" attacks on bridges near the border over the weekend, Russian state-run news agencies reported.

He said in the attack that caused a train derailment and killed seven people, Ukraine targeted women and children in a deliberate hit.

“All crimes that were committed against civilians, including women and children, on the eve of another round of peace talks suggested by us in Istanbul were, of course, directed at thwarting the negotiation process. The strike was a deliberate hit on the civilian population," Putin said.

“Why reward them by giving them a break from the combat, which will be used to pump the regime with Western arms, to continue their forced mobilisation and to prepare different terrorist acts," Putin said in a televised government meeting.

At talks on Monday, Russia outlined maximalist demands for such a ceasefire, including that Ukraine fully withdraws from four regions across its east and south that Moscow claims to have annexed.

Ukraine has been pushing for an immediate and unconditional 30-day truce. It shared its latest proposal with Moscow at peace talks in Istanbul on Monday.

Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the attack in which civilians were targeted.

Putin said the attacks were aimed at disrupting the peace talks.

Instead, Russia proposed a short two-to-three-day ceasefire to allow both sides to recover bodies from the battlefield.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Kyiv rejected this offer. “I believe this is simply a gross mistake by the Kyiv regime," he said.

Russia’s chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky confirmed that Moscow is ready to begin a large-scale prisoner exchange, agreed upon in Istanbul, between June 7 and 9. This follows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s announcement that the first stage of the exchange would happen this weekend.

Shankhyaneel Sarkar

Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over five years of experience during which he has covered sev...Read More

Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over five years of experience during which he has covered sev...

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News world ‘Why Give Them A Break’: Putin Accuses Ukraine Of Terrorism, Questions Full Ceasefire