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Russia and Ukraine confirmed Friday a U.S.-brokered three-day truce from May 9 to 11 and a large prisoner exchange, after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that both sides had agreed to the temporary ceasefire.
The truce coincides with Russia’s World War II Victory Day commemorations and is expected to include a mutual swap of 1,000 prisoners from each side.
Trump said he hoped the ceasefire could lead to a long-term agreement to end the war.
“I am pleased to announce that there will be a THREE DAY CEASEFIRE (May 9th, 10th, and 11th) in the War between Russia and Ukraine,” Trump said on Truth Social.
Trump said the ceasefire request was made directly by him and thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for agreeing to it.
“This request was made directly by me, and I very much appreciate its agreement by President Vladimir Putin and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy,” Trump said.
“Hopefully, it is the beginning of the end of a very long, deadly, and hard fought War,” he added.
Trump said the truce would include a halt in fighting and a prisoner exchange involving 1,000 prisoners from each country.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a ceasefire “must be established” and ordered the army not to target Moscow’s Red Square on May 9.
Red Square is the venue for Russia’s annual Victory Day parade, held this year without military hardware.
A senior source in the Ukrainian presidency, who requested anonymity, told AFP that Kyiv “exchanged the absence of drones in Moscow tomorrow for 1,000 of POWs.”
The source said Ukraine would act “mirror-like” during the truce.
In Moscow, the Kremlin welcomed Trump’s proposal and said it was “important” that it coincided with Russia’s “sacred” holiday marking the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany.
Russia had previously announced a two-day unilateral ceasefire to mark its World War II victory holiday on May 9.
Ukraine had earlier said it also offered a truce, but that Moscow ignored the proposal.
The confirmation came after the two sides traded drone strikes and declared unilateral ceasefires in the run-up to the May 9-11 truce.
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