Russia declares a ceasefire in Ukraine on May 8-10 for WWII Victory Day
The Hindu
Putin declares ceasefire in Ukraine for Victory Day, as Trump administration seeks to end the war.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin on Monday (April 28, 2025) declared a three-day ceasefire in Ukraine on May 8-10 to mark the World War II Victory Day, as U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration decides whether a deal to end the more than three-year war is within reach.
The Kremlin said that the truce will start at 0000 on May 8 (2100 GMT on May 7) and last through the end of May 10. The Kremlin said that Mr. Putin ordered the full cessation of hostilities on “humanitarian grounds” to mark the May 9 holiday celebrating the defeat of Nazi Germany.
Up until now, Mr. Putin had refused to accept a complete unconditional ceasefire, linking it to a halt in Western arms supplies to Ukraine and Ukraine’s mobilisation effort.
Watch: Trump says he thinks Zelenskyy is ready to give up Crimea
Just before the ceasefire announcement, Ukraine and Russia targeted each other with long-range strikes. The Russian Defence Ministry said its forces downed 119 Ukrainian drones overnight, most of them over Russia’s Bryansk border region. In Ukraine, air raid sirens rang out across the country Monday morning. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
The outcome of a push by Mr. Trump’s administration to swiftly end the fighting remains unclear, clouded by conflicting claims and doubts about how far each side might be willing to compromise amid deep hostility and mistrust.
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