Upon rejecting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ceasefire proposal this week, Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelenskyy instead made a direct appeal to Russian citizen to oppose the war.
"To end the war…end your state's aggression," he said in an overnight address Thursday.
Zelenskyy’s comments came just hours after Putin called on his Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to order a cease fire from Jan. 6 -7 in recognition of Christmas in the Russian Orthodox church.
Zelenskyy’s office rejected the proposal as a "cynical trap and an element of propaganda."
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"Everyone in the world knows how the Kremlin uses respites at war to continue the war with renewed vigor," Zelenskyy said in an overnight address. "What is needed is the citizens of Russia…[to] find the courage to free themselves of their shameful fear of one man in the Kremlin."
"Your fear of him destroys your country," he added.
Zelenskyy pointed to Kyiv’s attempts to implement a peace plan and bring about the end of the war, though Moscow rejected the plan as it called for Russian troops to begin withdrawing on Dec. 25.
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"As of that day already, the number of Russian soldiers killed was almost 95,000," he said. "As of today, you have already lost almost 110,000 of your soldiers."
"The war will be over when your soldiers either leave or we drive them out," he added.
Zelenskyy reiterated his concern that Russia is planning a major operation in an attempt to "turn the tide" in the war amid its troop's failure to advance the line after loosing significant swaths of territory beginning in September with the withdrawal of Kharkiv.
Kyiv has not detailed what it believed Moscow is planning but warned that Russia will "throw everything they have" at the war.
Putin’s ceasefire proposal came just weeks after he instructed defense officials to overhaul their war effort by better supplying Russian troops, bolstering missile stockpiles and readying Russia’s "nuclear triad" for combat.
