2026-05-04 19:57
publication
2026-05-04 19:57
Russian leader Vladimir Putin has decided to introduce a two-day ceasefire in the war with Ukraine, valid on May 8 and 9, Reuters reported on Monday, citing the Russian state agency RIA Novosti.
The decision to establish an armistice is related to the celebration of the anniversary of the victory of the Stalinist USSR over Nazi Germany in the Great Patriotic War, as Moscow refers to the part of World War II in which the USSR fought on the side of the anti-Hitler coalition in 1941-45.
The Russian Ministry of Defense expressed hope that the Ukrainian side would “follow Russia's example” and respect the decision to cease fire on the front line.
According to the announcements of the Russian Ministry of Defense, this year's parade on Red Square in Moscow will take place without a demonstration of military technology. “Ukrainian drones may also fly during this parade,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Monday.
At the same time, Zelensky rejected the idea of a one-day ceasefire in the Russian-Ukrainian war, calling it “unfair” and emphasizing that Kiev has not yet received any official proposal for a ceasefire on May 9, the Interfax-Ukraine agency reported on Monday.
On April 29, US President Donald Trump announced that he had a telephone conversation with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, during which the possibility of a “small truce” in Ukraine was discussed. The authorities in Kiev emphasized that the details of what was discussed during this conversation needed to be clarified.
“I suggested a little ceasefire and I think he might do it. He might announce something about it. Has he announced it yet?” Trump told reporters while reporting on his Wednesday conversation with the Russian leader.
The last truce in Russia's war against Ukraine was announced on the occasion of Orthodox Easter, April 11 and 12. The ceasefire was to last 32 hours. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine later reported that during the “Easter truce” Russian military violated the terms of the ceasefire 10,721 times.
Zelensky: No one has officially proposed a ceasefire to Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected the idea of a one-day ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war, calling it “unfair” and noting that Kiev has not yet received any official proposal for a ceasefire on May 9, the Interfax-Ukraine agency reported on Monday.
“The Americans talked to the Russians about what might happen on May 9: cease-fire or no cease-fire – no one officially contacted us, no one officially proposed anything,” Zelensky told journalists on the sidelines of the European Political Community summit in Yerevan.
According to Interfax-Ukraine, the president noted that “this is Russia's war against Ukraine”, so it is important for the Ukrainian side to know what the US and Russia are agreeing to. The head of state added that announcing a ceasefire for one day, after previously killing Ukrainians, is “simply unfair, to put it mildly.”
“Today Merefa (a city in the Kharkiv region shelled by the Russians – PAP), yesterday Dnieper, dead, wounded, adults, children… I'm sorry, but after something like this, the proposal to – for example – stop missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities and communities one day before the parade (on the occasion of the so-called Victory Day celebrated in Russia, commemorating the end of World War II – PAP), is not serious,” he stressed. Zelensky.
“So we have to give them a holiday, and on the morning after May 9, they (Russians – PAP) will kill us again. That's why we will watch how it all turns out,” said the head of state.
(PAP)
