Russia announces ceasefire in Ukraine next week to commemorate World War II
Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a victory day to defeat Nazi Germany in World War II in Russia, suspending hostilities with the “humanitarian foundation” of the Ukrainian war, the Kremlin said on Monday.
The truce will begin after midnight on May 8.
This is the fourth year that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump strives to make a peace deal in the war.
“Russia believes that Ukraine should follow this example,” the Kremlin said in a statement. “If a ceasefire by the Ukrainian side is violated, the Russian armed forces will respond appropriately and effectively.”
Ukraine did not respond immediately, and Ukraine had previously agreed to Trump’s proposal for a full 30-day ceasefire.
So far, Putin has refused to accept a completely unconditional ceasefire, linking it to the pause of Western arms to supply mobilization efforts in Ukraine and Ukraine.
Putin thanks North Korea for war aid
Ukraine and Russia aimed at each other with long-range strikes earlier on Monday ahead of the Kremlin announcement.
The Russian Defense Ministry said its troops lowered 119 Ukrainian drones overnight, most of which were in Russia’s Bryansk border area.
In Ukraine, air squirrels rang out across the country on Monday morning. No immediate reports of casualties or damages.
The outcome of the Trump administration’s quick end to the fight is unclear, due to conflicting demands from U.S. officials and doubts how much the two sides may be willing to compromise in a situation of deep hostility and distrust.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday that this week will be “very important”. He needs to “determine if this is an effort we are going to continue to be involved.” See the media.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov discussed the war on a phone call with Rubio on Sunday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
U.S. military aid is crucial to Ukraine’s war efforts and could further help if the Trump administration is reluctant to try to end the war.
Trump said over the weekend that he suspected Putin’s sincerity when he reached a deal, as Russian forces continued to attack Ukraine’s civilian areas with cruise and ballistic missiles, while holding talks. But on Friday, Trump described a basic settlement of the war as a “closure.”
Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko told the BBC that Ukraine may need to temporarily use land as part of a peace agreement with Russia. ‘One of these situations is… Give up territory. This is unfair. But for peace, temporary peace, maybe this could be a solution – temporary. ”
Western European officials accused the Kremlin of delaying its pace in peace talks so that Russia has greater force than Ukraine, possesses battlefield momentum and can capture more Ukrainian land.
The war broke out after Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, developing an important international dimension that further complicates negotiations. Putin thanked North Korea on Monday for sending out the U.S. troops estimated to be thousands to help fight Ukraine and allegedly provided artillery ammunition.
Putin’s comments came as North Korea’s media outlets confirmed for the first time the country’s participation in the war, and leader Kim Jong-Un praised the fighter as “a hero and representative of the honor of the motherland.”
