Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a three-day ceasefire, first announced by US President Donald Trump.
The temporary truce, which begins on Saturday, coincides with Victory Day in Russia, commemorating the 81st anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
Earlier, Moscow and Kyiv declared unilateral ceasefires for the holiday but blamed each other for violations amid stalled peace talks to end the war, now in its fifth year.
Trump Announcement
The US President announced on Friday that Russia and Ukraine agreed to a three-day ceasefire and an exchange of prisoners upon his request.
“I am pleased to announce that there will be a THREE DAY CEASEFIRE (May 9th, 10th, and 11th) in the War between Russia and Ukraine,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“This request was made directly by me, and I very much appreciate its agreement by President Vladimir Putin and President Volodymyr Zelensky. Hopefully, it is the beginning of the end of a very long, deadly, and hard fought War,” he added.
Trump also said that talks are underway to end the conflict. “Talks are continuing on ending this Major Conflict, the biggest since World War II, and we are getting closer and closer every day,” he noted.
Truce Details
According to Trump, the temporary ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine begins on May 9 and ends on May 11. It involves the suspension of all kinetic activity and the exchange of 1,000 prisoners from each country.
“I asked and, President Putin agreed. President Zelensky agreed – both readily. And we have a little period of time where they’re not going to be killing people. That’s very good,” Trump told reporters as he left the White House.
He expressed hope that both sides would extend the ceasefire. “I’d like to see a big extension,” Trump said.
How Russia Reacted
The Kremlin announced that Russia has agreed to Trump’s ceasefire proposal, reported Russian News Agency TASS.
“At the instruction of Russian President Vladimir Putin, I confirm that US President Donald Trump’s initiative regarding the ceasefire and an exchange of prisoners of war between Russia and Ukraine is acceptable to the Russian side,” Russian Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov said.
“The main thing is that it was agreed to exchange a thousand prisoners of war each during the truce period from 9 to 11 May inclusive,” he added.
Ushakov noted that the ceasefire was agreed as a result of phone communications with the US administration, building on a recent phone conversation between Putin and Trump during which the idea was first floated.
Ukraine’s Position
In response to Trump’s announcement, Zelensky confirmed the agreement, saying that Ukraine prioritizes the return of prisoners of war.
“That is why today, within the framework of the negotiating process mediated by the American side, we received Russia’s agreement to conduct a prisoner exchange in the format of 1,000 for 1,000. A ceasefire regime must also be established on May 9, 10, and 11,” he said in a statement on X.
“Ukraine is consistently working to bring its people home from Russian captivity. I have instructed our team to promptly prepare everything necessary for the exchange,” Zelensky added.
Military Parade
The Ukrainian President also issued a decree “authorizing” Russia to hold the Victory Day military parade, declaring that Ukrainian troops will not target Moscow’s Red Square during the celebrations.
“Red Square is less important to us than the lives of Ukrainian prisoners who can be brought home,” Zelensky noted in his statement.
However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the Ukrainian decree as a “silly joke.”
“We don’t need anyone’s permission. And woe to anyone who tries to laugh at Victory Day and play such silly jokes. That’s probably more of a problem for them,” he said.
The Victory Day is celebrated each year with a military parade in Moscow’s Red Square. However, the Kremlin announced that this year’s celebrations will see a scaled-back parade without the traditional display of military equipment amid fears of Ukrainian retaliatory strikes.
Russia also warned that it will respond to any Ukrainian attempt to disrupt the parade with a massive missile strike on Kyiv.
