Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Monday that Russia will implement a unilateral three-day ceasefire in Ukraine next month, aligning with the World War II Victory Day commemorations. The proposed truce would begin at midnight on May 8 and end at midnight on May 11, citing “humanitarian considerations.”
The announcement was met with skepticism from Ukrainian officials and prompted a renewed call from the White House for a permanent end to hostilities.
“While President Trump welcomes President Putin’s willingness to pause the conflict, the president has been very clear: he seeks a permanent ceasefire and a peaceful resolution to the war,” said National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized the limited ceasefire, calling it an “attempt at manipulation” and arguing that Russia should immediately accept a broader U.S.-backed 30-day ceasefire proposal, which Ukraine has already endorsed.
“Russia consistently rejects genuine peace efforts,” Zelensky said in a statement, emphasizing that Ukraine remains ready to support a lasting, unconditional truce.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio called this week “critical” in determining whether negotiations would succeed. Speaking on Sunday, Rubio noted that while progress has been made, “we’re close, but not close enough,” following discussions with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
President Trump, meanwhile, expressed growing impatience with the pace of negotiations. “We have the outlines of a deal,” he said, “and I want it signed so that life can return to normal.” Trump made the remarks after returning from Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican, where he briefly met with Zelensky for what officials described as a productive conversation.
Concerns remain over Russia’s past ceasefire commitments. Ukrainian military officials stated that during the previously announced Easter truce, Russian forces conducted thousands of attacks, undermining trust in Moscow’s pledges.
“The so-called Easter ceasefire did not hold,” said a senior Ukrainian officer. “There were continuous drone and artillery attacks throughout.”
Senior U.S. officials indicated that the next few weeks will be pivotal in determining whether a lasting peace agreement can be achieved, more than three years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
