Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a surprise three-day ceasefire from May 8 to May 10, coinciding with Moscow’s World War II Victory Day commemorations, the Kremlin announced on Monday.
Moscow has expressed its expectation that Kyiv will issue a similar order, and warned it would respond to any violations of the proposed halt in fighting.
Putin had previously ordered a ceasefire over Easter, though both sides accused each other of violating it hundreds of times. Nonetheless, the truce led to a temporary reduction in hostilities.
“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 stated.
“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 provide an adequate and effective response,” it continued.
Last month, Putin rejected a US proposal for a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire, which Ukraine had accepted.
Kyiv and its European allies accused Putin of announcing the 30-hour Easter truce as a public relations stunt and questioned his genuine desire for peace.
Putin’s latest ceasefire order comes at the start of what the United States has suggested could be a critical week for ceasefire negotiations, which may determine how long Washington will continue efforts to broker a peace deal.
After meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at Pope Francis’s funeral on Saturday, Donald Trump questioned Putin’s seriousness 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 stringing me along,” Trump said on Truth Social.
Russian missile strikes have killed dozens of civilians over the past month, including large-scale attacks on Zelensky’s home city of Kryvyi Rig, the northeastern city of Sumy, and the capital, Kyiv.
Earlier on Monday, Russia said it was ready to negotiate directly with Ukraine, but insisted that the recognition of its claims over five Ukrainian regions, including Crimea, was “imperative” for resolving the conflict.
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Ukraine has condemned Russia’s annexations as an illegal land grab and has pledged never to recognise them, while European officials have warned that accepting Moscow’s demands could set a dangerous precedent for future Russian aggression.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in an interview with Brazilian newspaper *O Globo* published Monday, said, “We remain open to negotiations. But the ball is not in our court. So far, Kyiv has not demonstrated its ability to negotiate,” he added, noting 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,” Lavrov stated, using the Kremlin’s names for the Ukrainian regions.
Zelensky reiterated on Friday that Ukraine would “not legally recognise any temporarily occupied territories,” and has previously called Moscow’s demand for demilitarisation “incomprehensible.”
Trump, who had claimed before his inauguration that he could halt Russia’s invasion of Ukraine within “24 hours,” attempted a diplomatic offensive to stop the conflict after taking office in January. However, the White House has expressed frustration with both sides as the war, which has devastated large parts of eastern Ukraine and killed tens of thousands, drags on.
Russia and Ukraine have not held direct talks since the start of Moscow’s offensive in 2022.
Early Monday, a Russian attack on a Ukrainian village near the frontline city of Pokrovsk killed a married couple and another local resident, according to regional prosecutors.
Meanwhile, Russia announced over the weekend that it had taken full control of the Kursk region with the assistance of North Korean troops, more than eight months after Kyiv launched a cross-border assault.
Putin thanked North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Monday for his help with the operation, which has denied Kyiv a key bargaining chip in any future talks with Moscow.
The Russian military also reported on Monday that it had captured the village of Kamianka in the northeastern Kharkiv region, marking another battlefield advance.
