Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected a call by French President Emmanuel Macron for a truce in the Ukraine-Russia war during the Summer Olympic Games in Paris.
Russia would use any suspension of hostilities to press its military advantage, Zelenskyy said in an interview Friday with Agence France-Presse.
“Let’s be honest … Emmanuel, I don’t believe it,” Zelenskyy told AFP. “Who can guarantee that Russia will not use this time to bring its forces to our territory?” he asked.
“We are against any truce that plays into the hands of the enemy,” Zelenskyy said.
On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin told state media that he had discussed the idea of an Olympic truce with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. Asked if he would support the idea, Putin reportedly responded with a criticism of Western sports authorities.
In his AFP interview, Zelenskyy vowed to keep fighting Russia’s army. “First of all, we don’t trust Putin,” he said.