The EU’s top diplomat and Western analysts believe Putin is “playing games” regarding the peace talks.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas accused Russia of “playing games” related to peace negotiations and called for increased pressure on Moscow, which attacked Ukraine again on the night of May 12.

“We must put pressure on Russia to really want peace, to sit down at the table and talk to Ukraine. If they continue to bomb Ukraine constantly, if there is no ceasefire, then there can be no talks under fire,” she stressed.

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy praised President Zelenskyy for his “readiness to negotiate” and stated that “now is the time for Putin to get serious about peace in Europe, about a ceasefire and about negotiations.”

Meanwhile, analysts note that the Kremlin’s reaction to the 30-day ceasefire proposal demonstrates that Moscow continues to make longstanding demands on Kyiv and insists on surrender, changing only the wording of its conditions, but not the content. Putin consistently returns to imposing ultimatums that Ukraine cannot accept. This stance from the Kremlin renders any real progress toward a peaceful settlement impossible.

ISW holds a similar opinion, noting that despite statements of “readiness for negotiations,” Russia continues offensive actions, massively shelling Ukrainian military positions.