By Amjad Qaimkhani
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Friday announced on social media that a three-day ceasefire would take place in the war between Russia and Ukraine from May 9 to May 11, coinciding with commemorations marking the end of the Second World War for Russia.
Trump said the pause in fighting would include a suspension of what he described as all “kinetic activity”, alongside a proposed exchange of 1,000 prisoners from each side.
“Hopefully, it is the beginning of the end of a very long, deadly, and hard-fought war,” he wrote on Truth Social, adding that there had been what he described as steady progress in talks aimed at ending the conflict.
The announcement followed a phone call between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on April 29, after which Trump said a temporary ceasefire was being discussed. Putin had previously declared a similar three-day truce last year, although it was not agreed with Kyiv.
Russia separately announced its own ceasefire for May 8 to 9, aligning with ceremonies marking the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany and a military parade in Moscow’s Red Square. Ukraine, meanwhile, proposed an open-ended ceasefire beginning at midnight on Tuesday (2100 GMT), calling on Russia to respond in kind.
Officials said Ukraine’s top negotiator Rustem Umerov had travelled to Miami for meetings with US representatives, as diplomatic efforts to restart stalled peace talks continued in recent months.
Both Moscow and Kyiv have repeatedly accused each other of violating previously declared ceasefires, underscoring the fragility of any temporary pause in hostilities.
