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

Trump claims Zelensky is ready to give up Crimea to Putin as part of peace deal

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”.

Key Points

• Breaking: Putin announces three-day ceasefire to mark WW2 anniversary
• Why is Russia calling a truce this weekend?
• Trump says he ‘thinks’ Zelensky is ready to give up Crimea
• North Korea confirms it sent troops to Russia to support Putin's war efforts
• Trump 'very disappointed' in Putin

[29 April 2025 03:00 · Alex Croft]

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.

[29 April 2025 04:00 · Alex Croft]

'Why wait until May 8th for ceasefire?' asks 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.”