Putin announces new three-day temporary ceasefire for May public holiday
Russia was accused by Kyiv and its European allies of breaching the previous temporary truce on Easter Sunday
Vladimir Putin has announced a temporary ceasefire in Ukraine next weekend to mark the 80th anniversary of victory in WW2, the Kremlin has said.
The 72-hour ceasefire is the second announced by Moscow in recent weeks, after it declared a 30-hour Easter Sunday truce - which Kyiv and its European allies accused it of breaching.
The Kremlin said the truce will last from the beginning of 8 May and last until the close of 10 May, adding that Russia give an “adequate and effective response” to any Ukrainian violations. Moscow remains ready for peace talks without any preconditions, the statement added.
Mr Putin is looking to win back favour with Donald Trump, after the US president said he was “very disappointed” in Russia’s continued bombardment of civilian areas in Ukraine.
Mr Trump also said he believes Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky is ready to give up Crimea in order to strike a peace deal with Russia.
Meanwhile, North Korea’s Kim Jong Un confirmed he sent his troops to support Russian president Vladimir Putin’s war efforts in Ukraine for the first time.
Mr Kim said his deployment order was meant to "annihilate and wipe out the Ukrainian neo-Nazi occupiers and liberate the Kursk area”.
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Russian troops seize village in Kharkiv region, Moscow says
Russia troops have taken control of the village of Kamianka in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region, the Defence Ministry said on Monday.
The Independent could not independently verify the battlefield report.
Crimea's recognition by Russia 'impossible to achieve', says expert
The formal recognition of Crimea as Russian territory is “impossible to achieve” and a difficult challenge for Volodymyr Zelensky, a Ukrainian expert has said.
If Ukrainian lawmakers were even to entertain the idea of surrendering Crimea, it would trigger a long, drawn-out legal debate, said Tymofiy Mylovanov, president of the Kyiv School of Economics and a former economics minister.
"That's why Russia is pushing it, because they know it's impossible to achieve," he said.
"Anything related to constitutional change gives so much policy and public communication space to Russia," he added. "This is all they want."
Additionally, formal recognition of Crimea would also amount to political suicide for Mr Zelensky and could expose him to legal action in the future, he said.
Mr Mylovanov said that signing a potentially unconstitutional document could be interpreted as high treason.
In pictures: Donetsk burns after Russian strikes continue
Trump suggests Zelensky will let Putin take Crimea. Russia’s top diplomat calls it a ‘done deal’
Donald Trump has said he “thinks” Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky is ready to give up Crimea to Russia as part of a peace deal.
"I see him as calmer. I think he understands the picture, and I think he wants to make a deal," Trump told reporters at an airport in New Jersey.
Asked whether Kyiv was prepared to lose Crimea to Moscow, which Zelensky ruled out just last week in comments which sparked a renewed war of words, the U.S. president said: “I think so.”
Moscow, which has occupied Crimea since a ground invasion in 2014, has said it does not see the southern peninsula as being part of any negotiations.
Read the full report:
Trump suggests Zelensky will let Putin take Crimea. Moscow calls it a ‘done deal’
Breaking: Putin announces temporary ceasefire over May public holidays
Vladimir Putin has announced a temporary ceasefire for the May public holidays, the Kremlin has announced.
The ceasefire, lasting from 8-11 May, will coincide with Russia’s World War 2 Victory Day on 9 May.
Russia will respond to any Ukrainian violations of the ceasefire and Moscow remains ready for peace talks without any preconditions, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Petrov said.
No response from Zelensky yet
There has been no response from Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to the Russian declaration of a temporary ceasefire over the May public holiday.
We’ll bring you all the latest reaction as it comes in.
Ceasefire offers restbite for troops in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region
A ceasefire will bring relief to troops in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, where Russia has focussed the bulk of its attacks for many months.
Russia sends thousands of troops charging towards Ukrainian defences almost every day, suffering significant personnel losses for the sake of incremental territorial gains.
The war of attrition has been damaging for Ukraine, which has struggled with manpower problems against the sheer might of Russian forces.
But Ukrainian troops have so far held out in Pokrosvk, a key strategic town 56 kilometres northwest of Donetsk, critical for the transfer of Ukrainian supplies across the frontline.
Why is Russia calling a truce this weekend?
Moscow says it is calling a truce to mark the 80th anniversary of victory in WW2 by Russia and the allied forces.
While most of the allied countries celebrate 8 May as VE (Victory in Europe) Day, Russia and some former Soviet countries celebrate it on 9 May.
This is because Germany’s unconditional surrender entered into force at 11:01pm on 8 May in most of Europe - which was 12:01am on 9 May in Moscow time.
Moscow hosts a Victory Day Parade each year in the Red Square, a vast military affair with thousands of troops lined outside the Kremlin for an event attended by Russia’s most powerful figures.
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