Zelensky’s Political Masterstroke: Now Ukraine is deciding whether to allow Putin to hold a military parade on Red Square.
On April 29th, Putin called the White House and asked Trump to relay a proposal to Ukraine: a ceasefire on May 9th so Putin could hold his "Victory Day parade" on Red Square without Ukrainian drones or air raid sirens.
Ukraine’s response was swift and sharp.
On May 4th, in reply to Russia’s announcement of a unilateral ceasefire for May 8–9, Zelensky made a counter-offer:
Ukraine unilaterally announced that the ceasefire would be in place earlier, from midnight May 5th-May 6th (Ukraine’s Infantry Day) and challenged Russia to prove it's serious and not just staging a PR stunt.
Over the following nights, air raid sirens blared across Moscow, and one Ukrainian drone struck near Red Square and the Kremlin.
Ukraine made it crystal clear: it has the ability to turn Putin’s grand parade into a humiliating spectacle, with the Russian president being evacuated to a bunker under air raid sirens while soldiers scatter from the Red Square.
With this move, Zelensky put Putin in a perfect lose-lose position.
Russia had asked, through Trump, for the ceasefire first. Now it must either accept Ukraine’s terms or openly fail its own proposal and fool itself in front of Trump's face.
Last night, Russia broke Ukraine’s unilateral ceasefire with massive strikes on Ukrainian cities.
Now the question is: will Ukraine allow Putin to hold his Victory Day parade on Red Square?