Photo: VIDA PRESS
The war between Russia and Ukraine, which has been going on for three years now, has not let up: it has claimed lives, destroyed cities and tested the world’s patience. In recent days, when Washington proposed a 30-day ceasefire, Russian President Vladimir Putin was once again in the spotlight. His words of support for the ceasefire on Thursday could have been a ray of hope – if they weren’t yet another lie in a long line of Kremlin deceptions. As the skies over Kursk, Belgorod and Chernihiv light up with drones and families on both sides of the border bury their loved ones, it is clear: Putin is a master at saying one thing and doing the opposite.
Peacekeeper mask
“In principle, we support the idea of a truce,” Putin said with cold confidence in front of the cameras. But he immediately added a condition: Russian troops would fight until “key requirements” were met. What were they? The Kremlin is in no hurry to explain, but previous statements – from the “demilitarisation” of Ukraine to Kyiv’s rejection of NATO – give a clue. This is not a proposal for dialogue, but a demand for surrender wrapped in a diplomatic shell. History shows that when Putin speaks of peace, he usually means victory on his own terms.
Let’s look back to 2014. After the annexation of Crimea and the outbreak of the war in Donbas, Moscow signed the Minsk agreements, which were supposed to bring peace. Instead, Russia used the “truce” to strengthen its position by arming the separatists and sending its soldiers there. Ten years later, the scenario is repeating itself. While Putin talks about a ceasefire, his troops are pressing on the Ukrainian bridgehead in the Kursk region, pushing out Kyiv’s forces that have been there since August 2024. This is not a gesture of goodwill – it is an attempt to strengthen his position ahead of any negotiations.
Lies in figures and facts
On Sunday, the Russian Ministry of Defence reported the downing of 31 Ukrainian drones over its territory. The governor of the Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, reported three wounded, including a child, and destroyed houses. At the same time, Ukraine reported Russian drones attacking Chernihiv and Kyiv. Both sides are suffering, but Putin insists that his goal is to “protect the Russian people.” Where is that protection when civilians in Belgorod are hiding from the rubble and Kursk is turning into a battlefield?
Last week, he said that Ukrainian troops in Kursk were “surrounded” and had to “surrender or die”. US President Donald Trump even asked Putin to “spare their lives”. But Kyiv denied these claims, calling them “political manipulation”. Military experts confirm that there is no “large-scale encirclement”. It was another lie aimed at spreading panic and putting pressure on Ukraine and its allies. Putin is playing the old game of exaggerating his successes to hide his real losses and weaknesses.
Duplicity and hypocrisy
When Ukrainian forces entered the Kursk region in August 2024, Putin called it a “large-scale provocation” and accused Kyiv of “indiscriminate attacks”. But who started this war? Who destroyed Mariupol, Kharkiv and Bakhmut? Who announced a “special operation” three years ago that became the largest war in Europe since World War II? Putin’s lie is that he shifts the blame to the victim, portraying Russia as an innocent party “forced to defend itself”. This is not defence – it is aggression, cloaked in noble words.
His words about a truce are another example of hypocrisy. If Russia really wants peace, why is it building up troops near the Sumy region, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said? Why do drones keep buzzing in the sky and guns keep firing? The answer is obvious: Putin does not want peace. He needs a break to regroup, resupply and strike again. This is not a guess, but a fact confirmed by his actions.
Voices of truth
“Putin is lying to everyone – both to his people and to the world,” Zelensky wrote on his X platform on Saturday, commenting on the situation in Kursk. “He talks about a truce, but does everything to make it impossible.” Residents of the border area are also tired of deception. “He says he’s protecting us, but we live in fear every day,” said Yelena, a resident of Voronezh whose home was put at risk by drone attacks.
Even in Russia, there are those who see the truth. Mikhail Kasyanov, Putin’s former prime minister and now his critic, told the BBC: “He wants a truce only on his own terms. This is not peace, this is blackmail.” Kasyanov’s words resonate in the hearts of millions who understand that as long as Putin is in power, his promises are only an illusion.
Peace or mirage?
The proposal for a 30-day ceasefire could have been a step towards easing tensions. But with Putin at the negotiating table, it’s like a game of thimbles: peace under one, war under the other, and he’s skilful at switching them around. His “yes, but” is not an answer, but a mockery of those who dream of silence instead of explosions.
On Sunday morning, as the smoke rose over Chernihiv and Belgorod counted its wounded, it became clear: Putin is not a peacemaker, but a liar whose words are at odds with his deeds. The war continues not because peace is impossible, but because it is not part of the Kremlin’s plans. And while the world is waiting for him to tell the truth, he is playing his own game – where the truth always loses.
Author : Marianna Nyzhnia
