The Kremlin announced Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued an unexpected three-day ceasefire order from May 8–10, which falls on Moscow’s observance of World War II Victory Day.
Moscow stated that it was prepared to respond to any violations of the potential ceasefire and that it anticipated Kyiv would issue a similar directive.
Putin issued a similar directive to halt fighting during Easter, which resulted in a brief halt in hostilities despite hundreds of violations by both sides.
“During the 80th anniversary of Victory Day, from midnight on May 7-8 to midnight on May 10-11, the Russian side is announcing a truce. During this time, all combat actions will be halted, the Kremlin announced in a statement.
Russia thinks the Ukrainian side need to emulate this. The Russian military will respond appropriately and effectively if the Ukrainian side violates the agreement,” it continued.
A US offer of a complete and unconditional 30-day ceasefire, which Ukraine had agreed, was rejected by Putin last month.
According to Kyiv and its European supporters, Putin had no desire for peace and had just announced the 30-hour Easter truce as a publicity stunt.
In addition to annexing Crimea in 2014, Russia has taken control of significant portions of four Ukrainian districts since beginning its offensive in February 2022.
“Tapping me along”
Putin’s ceasefire order came at the start of what the US said would be a pivotal week for the likelihood of a truce, which could influence how long Washington continues to try to negotiate a settlement.
Donald Trump questioned the Russian leader’s commitment to peace after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at Pope Francis’s funeral on Saturday.
“Putin has no justification for launching missiles on towns, cities, and civilian areas in recent days. Trump had stated on Truth Social, “It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along.”
Over the past month, Russian missiles have carried out extensive attacks on the capital Kyiv, the northern city of Sumy, and Zelensky’s hometown of Kryvyi Rig, killing hundreds of civilians.
Earlier on Monday, Russia stated that while it was prepared to engage in direct talks with Ukraine, a resolution to the conflict would require the recognition of its claims to five Ukrainian regions, including Crimea.
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 Monday 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 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.
Zelensky said last Friday that Ukraine would “not legally recognise any temporarily occupied territories”, and has previously called the demilitarisation demand “incomprehensible”.
– Kursk retaken –
Trump, who boasted before his inauguration he could halt Russia’s assault on Ukraine within “24 hours”, launched a diplomatic offensive to stop the fighting after taking office in January.
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 Monday, a Russian attack on a Ukrainian village near the frontline city of Pokrovsk killed a married couple and another local resident, regional prosecutors said.
Meanwhile, Russia over 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.
Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea, was hailed by Putin on Monday for his assistance in the operation, which has cost Kyiv a significant negotiating point in future negotiations with Moscow.
In its most recent combat assault, the Russian army said on Monday that it had captured the hamlet of Kamianka in the northeastern Kharkiv region.
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