Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared a three-day ceasefire in May amid the ongoing conflict with Ukraine, to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union and its allies’ victory in World War Two.
The Kremlin announced that the 72-hour truce will be observed on May 8, May 9 — the day Putin is set to host international leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, for victory celebrations over Nazi Germany — and May 10.
Putin’s move appears designed to signal Russia’s continued interest in peace, although Ukraine and its European allies remain skeptical. Meanwhile, the administration of President Donald Trump has shown growing impatience with the faltering peace efforts.
Kyiv expressed disappointment at the limited scope of the ceasefire, questioning why it would not begin immediately and last longer to foster diplomatic progress.
“For some reason, everyone is supposed to wait for May 8 and only then have a ceasefire to ensure calm for Putin during the parade,” President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address. “We value people’s lives and not parades.”
Russia, however, insists it seeks a comprehensive resolution, not merely a temporary halt in hostilities.
The ceasefire announcement followed a conversation between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Sunday. The White House emphasized President Trump’s preference for a lasting peace.
“While President Trump welcomes Vladimir Putin’s willingness to pause the conflict, the president has been very clear he wants a permanent ceasefire and to bring this conflict to a peaceful resolution,” said National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes.
According to the Kremlin, “all military actions are suspended for this period. Russia believes that the Ukrainian side should follow this example.” The Kremlin also warned that “in the event of violations by the Ukrainian side, Russia’s armed forces will give an adequate and effective response.”
This marks the second unilateral truce declared by Putin within a short span, following a 30-hour Easter ceasefire that both sides accused each other of violating repeatedly.
The latest ceasefire offer comes after Trump openly criticized Putin for a deadly Russian strike on Kyiv and voiced frustration over the perceived slow progress, warning that Putin was “just tapping me along.” Washington has cautioned that without significant developments, it may withdraw its peace efforts.
Talks ‘Without Preconditions’
During their Sunday call, Rubio “underscored to his Russian counterpart the next steps in Russia-Ukraine peace talks and the need to end the war now,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said on Monday, without elaborating further.
Russia’s foreign ministry stated that Lavrov emphasized the importance of “reinforcing the emerging conditions necessary to launch negotiations aimed at establishing a reliable framework for long-term, sustainable peace.”
The Kremlin stressed that Moscow seeks direct talks with Kyiv “without preconditions”.
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In a written interview with Brazil’s O Globo newspaper, Lavrov reiterated Russia’s demands for any settlement, which include Ukraine’s exclusion from NATO membership, “demilitarizing and de-Nazifying Ukraine,” and international recognition of four Ukrainian regions that Russia has partially occupied since 2022.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov further stated that Ukraine must initiate direct talks, citing a 2022 decree signed by Zelenskiy that legally banned negotiations with Putin following Russia’s illegal annexation of four Ukrainian regions.
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Ukraine maintains that Russia is using ceasefires to consolidate territorial gains and has called for increased international pressure to halt Russian aggression. Moscow, meanwhile, accuses Kyiv of refusing to compromise and seeking ceasefires solely on its own terms.
On Sunday, Trump urged Russia to cease its attacks and suggested that Zelenskiy might be prepared to relinquish Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014. Zelenskiy has previously affirmed that such a concession would breach Ukraine’s constitution. Kyiv has not publicly responded to Trump’s latest comments on Crimea.
