by Ben Whedon
President Donald Trump on Friday announced that Russia and Ukraine would observe a three-day ceasefire to mark the anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany.
Russian President Vladimir Putin had already declared a unilateral ceasefire to mark Russia’s victory in the “Great Patriotic War,” Russia’s name for World War II. The Kremlin further warned Ukraine against attempting to target Moscow during the festivities.
“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,” he posted on Truth Social.
“This Ceasefire will include a suspension of all kinetic activity, and also a prison swap of 1,000 prisoners from each Country,” he added. “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.”
The war is in its fifth year and shows no signs of an imminent end. Russia has observed other temporary ceasefires, notably for major Christian holidays such as Christmas and Easter.
On social media, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, “In recent days, there have been many appeals and signals regarding the setup for tomorrow in Moscow in connection with our Ukrainian long-range sanctions. The principle of symmetry in our actions is well known and has been clearly communicated to the Russian side. An additional argument for Ukraine in determining our position has always been the resolution of one of the key humanitarian issues of this war – namely, the release of prisoners of war. Red Square is less important to us than the lives of Ukrainian prisoners who can be brought home.”
“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. 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,” he added.
Zelenskyy thanked Trump “and his team for their productive diplomatic involvement.”
“We expect the United States to ensure that the Russian side fulfills these agreements,” he noted. “Glory to Ukraine!”
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Ben Whedon is a reporter for Just the News. Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of The Star News Network and contributed to this story.
