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”.
North Korea makes first public admission it sent troops to fight for Russia
Trump doubts Putin’s willingness to end Ukraine war after Vatican meeting with Zelensky — and threatens further sanctions
Pope Francis would have been ‘filled with hope’ by Trump-Zelensky meeting
Trump demands ‘high level’ Moscow-Kyiv meeting as Russian general killed by car bomb
Russia calls on Ukraine to join ceasefire
Russia has called on Ukraine to “follow” its example in calling a ceasefire for the May public holiday next weekend.
There has been no immediate response from the Ukrainian side, which accused Russia of repeated violations of the previous temporary truce it called on Easter Sunday.
"All military actions are suspended for this period [8-10 May]. Russia believes that the Ukrainian side should follow this example," a Kremlin statement read.
"In the event of violations by the Ukrainian side, Russia’s armed forces will give an adequate and effective response."
Analysis | Ukraine will greet ceasefire with skepticism
Chief international correspondent Bel Trew writes:
Less than two days after US President Donald Trump lashed out at Vladimir Putin for “tapping me along” over a peace deal, the Russian president has announced another temporary ceasefire — this one scheduled to last three days.
The Kremlin said a truce would take place from May 8 to 10, coinciding with Russia’s Victory Day celebrating the defeat of Nazi Germany. Timing likely designed to stir up domestic audiences, given Putin’s repeated and completely baseless claims that a “neo-Nazi regime” in Ukraine justified his full-scale invasion.
Ukraine has yet to officially respond, but will no doubt greet the news with a large dose of skepticism.
Kyiv previously said Moscow violated a similar temporary truce during Easter. President Volodymyr Zelensky even accused Russia of using that ceasefire to advance: saying Russian assaults persisted on multiple fronts, artillery fire did not subside, and attacks on energy infrastructure were relentless.
Over the weekend, Mr Zelensky warned Russia had only shown an “alleged readiness” to accept U.S. proposals for 30-day ceasefire to kick start longer term peace negociations.
“Every day of such battles at the front proves that Russia is really trying to deceive the world - to deceive America and others - and to further prolong this war,” he said on social media.
That stance was reiterated by his chief of staff and close confidant Andriy Yermak Monday morning, just before news broke of Putin’s proposal.
“All the Russian statements about peace without their stopping the fire are a simple lie,” he wrtoe on his Telegram page.
There are unlikely to be celebrations on the ground in Ukraine. During the last ceasefire announcement, air raid sirens blared in Kyiv, sending residents scrambling to shelters. On Monday morning, the same scene repeated - reportedly under a wave of Shaheed drones.
On popular Ukrainian Telegram groups, Ukrainian analysts and journalists immediately called it out as “Another lie for Trump”.
“Putin’s promise will likely have nothing to do with a real ceasefire again,” wrote one.
For Ukrainians anything less than an full agreement to follow a proper deal, is quite literally blast and bluster.
Reminder: Russia kills three in one region during Putin's Easter ceasefire
Russian attacks during the 30-hour Easter ceasefire unilaterally declared by President Vladimir Putin over the weekend killed three people in Ukraine's southern Kherson region, a regional official said Monday.
Oleksandr Prokudin, the head of Kherson's administration, added that three others were wounded in the region, parts of which are occupied by Russia.
After Mr Putin declared the move on Saturday 19 April, Ukraine responded by voicing readiness to reciprocate any genuine ceasefire but said the Russian attacks continued. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia violated the ceasefire more than 2,900 times.
Read last week’s full report:
Russian attacks during Easter ceasefire declared by Putin killed 3 in Ukraine's Kherson region
Putin is not going to keep his word, Ukrainian MP tells The Independent
Vladimir Putin will not keep his word with his latest ceasefire announcement, a Ukrainian MP and adviser to Volodymyr Zelensky has told The Independent.
“He is not going to keep his word,” Ukrainian MP Oleksandr Merezhko said.
“He is declaring something and immediately doing the opposite. Again there will be no ceasefire, there will be a continuation of bombing, on the frontline there will be continuation of fighting, I have absolutely no doubt about that.”
Mr Merezhko added that Mr Putin might be calling the ceasefire to “show Trump he is responding in a positive way to his [peace] initiative”, adding that this is “not sincere” from the Russian autocrat.
Putin trying to protect Victory Day parade, Ukrainian MP says
Oleksandr Merezhko, a Ukrainian MP who has served close to Volodymyr Zelensky, has said Moscow’s declaration of a temporary truce stems from Vladimir Putin’s fear that Moscow’s Victory Day celebrations could be ruined.
Moscow said it is calling a truce to mark the 80th anniversary of victory in WW2 by Russia and the allied forces, which it celebrates with a huge military parade on 9 May.
“There are two reasons for Putin doing this: Propaganda, because for Russia the [80th] anniversary [of WW2 Victory Day] is a huge propagandistic celebration,” Mr Merezhko said.
“Second reason, I suspect that he might be trying in this way to prevent any military actions on the part of Ukraine on the eve or during the Victory Day, because he doesn’t want this holiday to be spoiled, to show that there is nothing to celebrate.”
He added that the truce is “not technically or legally speaking a ceasefire because ceasefire presupposes bilateral agreement from both sides”.
'Why wait until May 8th?' says Ukrainian foreign minister
Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha has called on Moscow to implement a ceasefire immediately, to show it is serious about peace.
“If Russia truly wants peace, it must cease fire immediately,” Andrii Sybiha wrote on X.
“Why wait until May 8th? If the fire can be ceased now and since any date for 30 days—so it is real, not just for a parade.
“Ukraine is ready to support a lasting, durable, and full ceasefire. And this is what we are constantly proposing, for at least 30 days.”
Trump seeking permanent ceasefire, not temporary - White House
Donald Trump wants to see a permanent ceasefire to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday.
Ms Leavitt said the US president was increasingly frustrated with Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy, and both needed to come to the negotiating table to end the war.
She noted that Putin had offered a temporary ceasefire on Monday, but reiterated that the US president had made it clear that he was seeking a permanent ceasefire.
Trump criticises Putin hours before Kremlin calls temporary ceasefire
Analysis | Why Crimea matters so much to Putin – and now Trump
Why Crimea matters so much to Putin – and now Trump
At least six killed in Russian attacks over past day
Russian attacks across Ukraine killed at least six civilians and injured 13 more over the past day, regional authorities reported on Monday morning.
Moscow’s forces have intensified their attacks on Ukrainian towns and cities in the past week.
Five people were killed and six injured in a attacks across Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, according to governor Vadym Filashkin, including an attack against Kostiantynivka which damaged 21 houses.
In the Dnipropetrovsk region, a 73-year-old woman was injured during Russian drone and artillery attacks on the Nikopol district, governor Serhii Lysak said.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments