US President on Friday (local time) announced a three-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, starting from May 9 till May 11.
Trump announced the ceasefire in a Truth Social post and wrote, “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. The Celebration in Russia is for Victory Day, but likewise, in Ukraine, because they were also a big part and factor of World War II.”
Ceasefire request made by me: Trump
The added, “This Ceasefire will include a suspension of all kinetic activity, and also a prison swap of 1,000 prisoners from each Country. This request was made directly by me, and I very much appreciate its agreement by President Vladimir Putin and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Hopefully, it is the beginning of the end of a very long, deadly, and hard fought War. Talks are continuing on ending this Major Conflict, the biggest since World War II, and we are getting closer and closer every day.”
Ukrainian President thanks Trump
After Trump announced a three-day ceasefire between and Ukraine, Ukrainian President , in a post on X, thanked Trump for bringing a pause in the war, which has been ongoing since February 2022. Zelenskyy wrote, “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. Ukraine is consistently working to bring its people home from Russian captivity.”
He added, “I thank the President of the United States and his team for their productive diplomatic involvement. We expect the United States to ensure that the Russian side fulfills these agreements.”
Russia announced a two-day ceasefire
According to reports, Moscow had previously announced a two-day unilateral ceasefire to mark its May 9 World War II Victory Day on Saturday. Separately, Ukraine previously stated that it too had offered a truce but was ignored by Moscow.
According to a Reuters report, after a phone call with Russian President on April 29, Trump said that a temporary ceasefire was in the works. Putin announced a similar truce last year that lasted three days but was not agreed with Kyiv.
Russia-Ukraine launch drone attacks
On Friday, Bloomberg reported that Russia and Ukraine launched overnight, casting doubt on whether Moscow’s unilateral ceasefire would be implemented.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said that its forces intercepted 264 Ukrainian drones between midnight and 7 am (local time), including some over the capital region. Moscow previously stated that it would halt combat operations and long-range strikes under a self-declared truce for May 8-9, but warned it would respond to Ukrainian attacks.
Zelenskyy, in a post on X, wrote that Russia launched over 140 strikes on Ukrainian frontline positions overnight and attempted 10 assaults, mostly against positions near Slovyansk. Kyiv also noted that Moscow targeted several regions with dozens of drones overnight.
“All of this clearly shows that, on the Russian side, there was not even a token attempt to cease fire,” Zelenskyy said, adding that Ukraine would continue to respond in kind while defending itself.
