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Ex-Ukrainian PM slams Kiev's idea to extend ceasefire as demagogy

Nikolay Azarov recalled that the Kiev regime, which came to power as a result of the 2014 coup, lacked commitment

MOSCOW, April 21. /TASS/. Former Ukrainian Prime Minister (2010-2014) Nikolay Azarov has called Kiev's proposal to extend the ceasefire demagogic and yet another trick.

He recalled that the Kiev regime, which came to power as a result of the 2014 coup, lacked commitment. "It (Kiev - TASS) will not fulfill any conditions. What does it mean by proposing to extend the ceasefire? Under what terms? After all, this is the subject of negotiations, and so far, no agreement on the ceasefire has been reached," Azarov said on the Rossiya-24 TV channel. "So, how can you prolong something that you are not going to fulfill? So, all this is, you know, demagogy, which may be designed for internal consumption or for external one. However, there are no actual deeds behind it," the former prime minister noted.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced an Easter ceasefire on April 19 during a meeting with Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov. The Russian leader emphasized that the ceasefire would run from 6 p.m. on April 19 (3 p.m. GMT) to 12 a.m. on April 21 and urged the Ukrainian side to follow suit. As Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told TASS on April 20, the Russian leader gave no orders on extending the Easter truce.

The Russian Defense Ministry has recorded 4,900 violations of the Easter truce by the Ukrainian army. The ministry noted that the Russian Armed Forces continued the special military operation after the ceasefire expired.

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