Putin announces surprise Ukraine truce for May 8-10
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Ukraine responded to the three-day ceasefire by saying it wants an immediate truce with Russia for “at least 30 days”.
PHOTO: AFP
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MOSCOW – Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a surprise three-day ceasefire from May 8 to 10, coinciding with Moscow’s World War II Victory Day commemorations, the Kremlin said on April 28.
Ukraine responded by saying it wants an immediate truce with Russia for “at least 30 days”.
“If Russia truly wants peace, it must cease fire immediately. Why wait until May 8?” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga wrote on X.
Weighing in, US President Donald Trump said what he is seeking is a permanent ceasefire in Ukraine.
“He is increasingly frustrated with leaders of both countries,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.
“He wants to see a permanent ceasefire. I understand Vladimir Putin this morning offered a temporary ceasefire. The President has made it clear he wants to see a permanent ceasefire first to stop the killing, stop the bloodshed,” she said.
Mr Putin made a similar order to stop combat over Easter
“The Russian side is declaring a ceasefire during the 80th anniversary of Victory Day, from midnight on May 7-8 to midnight on May 10-11. All combat operations will be suspended during this period,” the Kremlin said in a statement.
“Russia believes that the Ukrainian side should follow this example. In the event of violations of the truce by the Ukrainian side, the Russian armed forces will give an adequate and effective response,” it added.
In March, Mr Putin rejected a US proposal for a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire that had been accepted by Ukraine.
Kyiv and its European backers accused Mr Putin of announcing the 30-hour Easter truce as a public relations exercise and said he had little desire for peace.
Since launching its Ukraine offensive in February 2022, Russia has seized large parts of four Ukrainian regions and claimed them as its own, in addition to Crimea
‘Tapping me along’
Mr Putin’s order of a ceasefire comes at the beginning of what the US indicated would be a crucial week for the chances of a ceasefire that could determine how long Washington keeps trying to broker a deal.
After a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at Pope Francis’ funeral on April 26, Mr Trump questioned whether the Russian leader was serious about peace.
“There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days. It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along,” Mr Trump had said on Truth Social.
Russian missiles have killed dozens of civilians over the last month in large-scale strikes on Mr Zelensky’s home city of Kryvyi Rig, the north-eastern city of Sumy and the capital Kyiv.
Russia had earlier on April 28 said it was ready to negotiate directly with Ukraine, but that recognition of its claims over five Ukrainian regions including Crimea was “imperative” to resolve the conflict.
Ukraine has denounced the annexations as an illegal land grab and says it will never recognise them, while European officials have warned that accepting Moscow’s demands set a dangerous precedent that could lead to future Russian aggression.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with Brazilian newspaper O Globo published on April 28 that “we remain open to negotiations”.
“But the ball is not in our court. So far, Kyiv has not demonstrated its ability to negotiate,” he said, adding that Moscow’s position on the conflict was “well-known”.
“International recognition of Russia’s ownership of Crimea, Sevastopol, the Donetsk People’s Republic, the Lugansk People’s Republic, the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions is imperative,” he said, using the Kremlin’s names for the Ukrainian regions.
Mr Zelensky said on April 25 that Ukraine would “not legally recognise any temporarily occupied territories”, and has previously called the demilitarisation demand “incomprehensible”.
Kursk retaken
Mr Trump, who boasted before his inauguration that he could halt Russia’s assault on Ukraine
But the White House has voiced frustration with both sides, as the conflict that has devastated swathes of eastern Ukraine and killed tens of thousands of people drags on.
Russia and Ukraine have not held direct talks on the fighting since the start of Moscow’s offensive in 2022.
Early on April 28, a Russian attack on a Ukrainian village near the front-line city of Pokrovsk killed a married couple and another local resident, regional prosecutors said.
Meanwhile, Russia at the weekend announced it had taken full control of its Kursk region with the help of North Korean troops, more than eight months after Kyiv launched a cross-border ground assault.
Mr Putin thanked North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on April 28 for help with the operation, which has denied Kyiv a key bargaining chip in future talks with Moscow.
The Russian army said on April 28 it had taken control of the village of Kamianka in the north-eastern Kharkiv region, in its latest battlefield advance. AFP
