Russia Announces Three-Day Ceasefire In Ukraine

Russia has announced a 72-hour unilateral ceasefire in Ukraine to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet Union and its allies in World War Two. According to the Putin-led Russian administration, “all military actions” in Ukraine would be suspended from midnight May 8 to midnight May 11. The announcement comes following a 30-hour Easter ceasefire, during which each side repeatedly blamed the other for violations.

At the same time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reportedly called the ceasefire declaration an “attempt at manipulation”. Zelensky noted that Moscow has not accepted the US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire that Kyiv has agreed to. Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha also called for an immediate ceasefire for "at least 30 days". Over 20 ceasefire attempts have met with eventual failure in Ukraine, reported the BBC.

Russia stated on Monday that Putin's ceasefire was "based on humanitarian considerations. "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's foreign minister said in response. Meanwhile, the White House said that US President Donald Trump "wants to see a permanent ceasefire". The US administration has repeatedly threatened to end its peace efforts unless there is real progress.