Kiev, Ukraine (AP) – Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday declared a three-day ceasefire in Ukraine from May 8-10, commemorating the victory day of World War II.
The Kremlin said the armistice will begin at 0,000 on May 8 (2100 GMT, May 7) and continue until May 10. The Kremlin said Putin ordered a complete halt of hostilities on “humanitarian grounds” to celebrate the May 9 holiday, which marks the defeat of Nazi Germany.
Until now, President Putin had refused to accept a completely unconditional ceasefire, but had led to Ukraine and Ukraine’s mobilization efforts to halt the supply of arms in the West.
Just before the announcement of the ceasefire, Ukraine and Russia targeted each other on long-distance strikes. The Russian Ministry of Defense said its forces defeated 119 Ukrainian drones overnight, most of which fell in the Bryansk border area in Russia. In Ukraine, air raid sirens rang across the country on Monday morning. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damages.
Rubio says this week it’s “very important.”
The outcome of the Trump administration’s push to quickly end the battle remains unknown, clouded by contradictory claims and doubts about how willing each side will compromise amid deep hostility and mistrust.
The watch is etched in Washington’s involvement in efforts to resolve Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II, which killed tens of thousands of lives.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday that this week was “very important.” The US needs to decide whether this is an effort we want to continue to be involved in,” he said on NBC’s Meet the Press.
American military aid is extremely important to Ukraine’s war effort, and further aid could be at risk if the Trump administration moves away from attempts to end the war.
Trump’s suspicions against Putin
Trump said he has doubts about Putin’s integrity over the weekend as Russian troops continue to attack Ukraine’s civilian regions with cruises and ballistic missiles while they continue to speak.
But on Friday, Trump described the mediated settlement on the war as “close.”
Western European officials have accused the Kremlin of lying on the peace conference, allowing Russian troops, which are bigger and more battlefield momentum than Ukraine, to capture more Ukrainian lands.
The Russian Foreign Minister discussed the war on Sunday in a call with Rubio, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
The two diplomats focused on “a unifying new assumptions to commence negotiations,” the statement said without providing details.
Russia effectively rejected the US proposal for an immediate and complete 30-day suspension of combat by imposing widespread conditions. Ukraine has accepted it, says Ukraine’s Voldimia Zelenki.
French diplomats said over the weekend that Trump, Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron had agreed to “pursuing a convergence job” to get a “solid ceasefire in the coming days.”
The diplomat said the ceasefire was “a preliminary condition for peace negotiations that respects the interests of Ukraine and Europeans.”
Officials were not permitted to be publicly named in accordance with French presidential policies.
Ukraine doesn’t want to give up on land
Meanwhile, Ukraine barred the possibility of surrendering its land to Russia in return for peace.
An important aspect of Ukraine’s leverage could be a deal with Washington, which allows access to Ukraine’s important mineral wealth.
Ukraine and the United States are moving forward with a mineral agreement, and both sides have agreed that the US aid previously provided to the United States will not be considered under the terms of the transaction, Ukrainian Prime Minister Dennis Schmichal said on Sunday.
“We’re making good progress,” he said after discussing with the US Treasury Department under Washington Secretary Scott Bescent.
“The main thing is that we clearly defined the red line. The agreement must comply with Ukrainian constitution, law, and European commitments and be ratified by Parliament,” Schmihal said.
The war that broke out after a full-scale invasion of Russian neighbors in February 2022 developed and further complicated the important international aspects.
Putin on Monday thanked North Korea, who is allegedly supplying artillery ammunition, what the US estimates are estimated to be thousands of troops to help defeat Ukraine.
Iran also supports Russia in the war along with Sheahead drones, with China selling Russian machines and microelectronics that Moscow can use to build weapons, Western officials say.
The US and Europe are Kiev’s biggest backers.
