The President of the USA Donald Trump said on Friday that the leaders of Russia AND Ukraine have agreed to his request for a three-day ceasefire and a prisoner exchange, adding that such a cessation of hostilities could be the “beginning of the end” of the long war between them.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the agreement. There was no immediate comment from Russian President Vladimir Putin or the Kremlin.
Trump announced on social media that the ceasefire will last Saturday through Monday. Saturday is Victory Day in Russia, a holiday commemorating the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
“I am pleased to announce that there will be a three-day ceasefire (May 9, 10 and 11) in the Russia-Ukraine War,” Trump wrote. “The celebration in Russia is for Victory Day, but also in Ukraine, because they were also a part and a big factor in the Second World War.”
The Republican president said the ceasefire includes a suspension of all kinetic activity and the exchange of 1,000 prisoners from each country.
Russia had announced a cease-fire for Friday and Saturday, but it quickly fell apart, with both sides blaming the other for continued fighting, just as they did when Ukraine’s unilateral ceasefire collapsed earlier in the week.
Trump said he made his request for a ceasefire “directly” to the two presidents. “We hope this is the beginning of the end of a very long, deadly and difficult war,” he said.
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Trump added that talks continue to end the war that began in February 2022 “and we’re getting closer every day.”
Trump has gone back and forth on whether the war will end, sometimes expressing optimism and other times saying that Russia and Ukraine should be left to fight it out to the bitter end.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s decision on how to engage in those discussions was shaped in part by the prospect of freeing its prisoners. Ukraine has made the return of prisoners of war a central demand throughout the conflict.
“Red Square is less important to us than the lives of Ukrainian prisoners of war who can return home,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram. Red Square is where Russia holds its traditional military parade to celebrate Victory Day, one of the biggest holidays of the year.
After releasing his statement, Zelenskyy issued an official presidential decree “authorizing” Russia to hold the parade, declaring Red Square off-limits to Ukrainian attacks for the duration of the event. The framework of the decree appeared designed to underline Kiev’s claim that it has an effective target on the Russian capital, while publicly linking the Ukrainian restriction to the terms of the ceasefire.
Zelenskyy said the deal was reached through a US-brokered process and thanked Trump and the US team for what he called effective diplomatic engagement. He said Ukraine expects Washington to hold Russia in line with the terms of the deal.
“We are counting on the United States to ensure that Russia fulfills its commitments,” Zelenskyy said.
Zelenskyy said he had instructed his team to prepare everything necessary for the exchange without delay.
Trump’s announcement came hours after Secretary of State Marco Rubio struck a much more somber tone about negotiations to end Russia’s four-year war in Ukraine, saying US mediation efforts have not led to a “fruitful outcome” so far.
“While we are prepared to play whatever role we can to bring it to a peaceful diplomatic solution, unfortunately right now, those efforts have stalled,” Rubio told reporters at the end of a visit to Rome and the Vatican. “But we are always ready if those circumstances change.”
Associated Press writers Hanna Arhirova in Kiev and Giada Zampano in Rome contributed to this report.
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