Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced a three-day ceasefire in the ongoing conflict with Ukraine, set to run from May 8 to 10, according to a Kremlin statement on Monday.
The pause in fighting coincides with Moscow’s commemorations of World War II Victory Day.
However, Ukraine swiftly criticized the announcement, recalling that Russian forces had violated a previous truce declared by Putin during Easter celebrations.
The temporary ceasefire aligns with Russia’s national holiday marking the Soviet Union’s role in the defeat of Nazi Germany, celebrated around the same time as Europe’s Victory in Europe Day on May 8.
In 1945, the Soviet Union, alongside the United States and other Allied Forces, played a crucial role in defeating Adolf Hitler’s regime.
“Russia believes that the Ukrainian side should follow this example,” the Kremlin said Monday. “In the event of violations of the truce by the Ukrainian side, the Russian armed forces will give an adequate and effective response.”
During Easter, just hours after Putin declared a ceasefire, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russian forces of undermining the agreement.
Although missile and air attacks appeared to slow down, Zelenskyy reported 59 cases of shelling and five offensive actions along the extensive 600-mile front.
“In practice, either Putin does not have full control over his army, or the situation proves that in Russia, they have no intention of making a genuine move toward ending the war, and are only interested in favourable PR coverage,” he wrote.
The latest ceasefire announcement comes as the Trump administration steps up its pressure on both Moscow and Kyiv to negotiate an end to the conflict, now more than three years old, since Russia’s full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022.
Over the weekend, President Trump and President Zelenskyy had a brief meeting at St. Peter’s Basilica during Pope Francis’ funeral, lasting about 15 minutes.
Following their encounter, Trump signaled a slight shift in tone, suggesting Zelenskyy was willing to pursue a peace deal.
He also condemned recent Russian aggression in Ukraine and floated the possibility of imposing banking or secondary sanctions on Moscow via a post on Truth Social.
“We had a nice meeting, it was a beautiful eating,” Mr. Trump told reporters outside the White House on Sunday, noting that Zelenskyy faces a “tough road ahead.”
When asked about his trust in Putin, Trump replied enigmatically, “You’ll know in about two weeks,” offering no further details.
Vice President JD Vance reinforced the administration’s stance last week, warning that failure by both Putin and Zelenskyy to reach an agreement could lead to the U.S. withdrawing from its peacemaking efforts.
It marked the second stern message from the Trump White House within a few days, despite Trump’s previous campaign promises to quickly end the war upon taking office.
“We’ve issued a very explicit proposal to both the Russians and the Ukrainians, and it’s time for them to either say yes, or for the United States to walk away from this process,” Vance said during a briefing.
Shortly after Vance’s comments, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told CBS News’ Margaret Brennan that Moscow was prepared to negotiate a settlement with Washington but needed to “fine tune” some aspects of the agreement.
“The president of the United States believes – and I think rightly so – that we are moving in the right direction,” Lavrov said Thursday during an appearance on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.”
Lavrov, however, declined to reveal the specific points still under negotiation or predict how close the two sides were to a final deal.
While Russia has often claimed it is open to a diplomatic resolution, it has steadfastly demanded that any agreement address what it sees as the underlying causes of the war, accusations it consistently directs at Ukraine and the West, despite being the aggressor in launching the invasion.
Trump has, at times, echoed similar narratives, suggesting Ukraine and its allies share blame. Senior Trump administration officials have privately indicated that Ukraine may need to concede some of the territories occupied by Russian forces over the last decade to secure peace.
Although White House officials also suggest Moscow must offer some concessions, it remains uncertain what specific demands Trump’s team might make of Putin to finalize a lasting truce.
