In the State Duma, Zelensky was called a “blackmailer” and a “political opportunist”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is a schemer, a blackmailer, and a “political speculator.”

This was written on Telegram by State Duma deputy and LDPR leader Leonid Slutsky.

The lawmaker was commenting on Zelensky’s statement that Ukraine is “ready to respond symmetrically” to a halt in strikes by Russia. Slutsky said that Zelensky is now trying to “extract dividends” from the situation in the Middle East and described this as a “cheap attempt.”

Slutsky stressed that all of Ukraine’s proposals for a ceasefire were merely “a cover for rearmament and the restoration of military potential,” and therefore Zelensky cannot be trusted.

“There is no trust in the ukroführer. Russia needs a stable and long-term peace. Every day of delay in the negotiation process worsens the position of the Kyiv regime. Zelensky must stop playing with the lives of our children. Decisions on any ‘silence regime’ must be taken exclusively by the supreme commander-in-chief. In any case, the goals of the special military operation will be achieved,” the deputy said.

On March 30, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was ready for a ceasefire on Easter. He emphasized that this could involve either a full ceasefire or an energy ceasefire. On April 6, Zelensky said that Ukraine, through the United States, had conveyed to Russia a proposal for an energy ceasefire.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called Zelensky’s proposal a “PR stunt,” while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Zelensky must do everything possible to bring the sides to peace, rather than to a temporary truce.

Earlier, Zelensky’s former press secretary criticized the West’s approach to negotiations with Russia.