The Kremlin announced a short “humanitarian” truce on Monday, temporarily ending military operations in Ukraine from May 8 to 10 in remembrance of Russia’s victory over Nazi Germany at the end of World War II.
Russian President Vladimir Putin declared the three-day cease-fire on “humanitarian grounds,” allowing Russians to celebrate Victory Day on May 9. This year marks the 80th anniversary of Germany’s surrender to the Soviet Union.
“During this period, all military actions will cease. Russia believes that the Ukrainian side should follow this example,” the Kremlin said Monday. “In case of violations of the ceasefire by the Ukrainian side, the Russian armed forces will give an adequate and efficient response.”
The statement comes as Russia continues to reject Ukraine’s demand for a full and unconditional cease-fire by intensifying its attacks on Ukrainian cities and towns.
Putin previously declared a similar truce on Easter, but Ukraine accused its enemy of violating the temporary cessation in fighting. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian forces violated the Easter truce nearly 3,000 times, while the Kremlin claimed there were some 4,900 cease-fire violations committed by Ukraine.
The Russian military resumed its combat operations after the cease-fire ended, with an extensive barrage of missiles and drones launched toward Kyiv on Thursday. Considered to be the deadliest attack on the capital of Ukraine since the war began in February 2022, the overnight strike left at least 12 people dead and another 90 wounded.
The attack caused President Donald Trump to issue a rare rebuke of Putin, with whom the Republican has had a generally strong diplomatic relationship since his first term in office.
In Truth Social posts, Trump called for Putin to stop launching deadly airstrikes on civilians and to move toward discussing a lasting peace deal. Trump even wondered whether Putin is serious about ending the bloodshed, of which he accused Zelensky in February following his public Oval Office argument with the Ukrainian leader.
“There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days,” Trump wrote in part on Saturday. “It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through ‘Banking’ or ‘Secondary Sanctions?’ Too many people are dying!!!”
The Trump administration previously proposed an unconditional 30-day cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine, but that agreement was ultimately rejected by Putin last month. Despite the arduous negotiation process, the White House remains committed to ending the war.
Over the weekend, Trump met with Zelensky while attending Pope Francis’s funeral to briefly discuss a solution to the Russia-Ukraine war. Following that meeting, Trump said Zelensky may be willing to give up Crimea as the start of a broader peace deal.
Zelensky has signaled opposition to the idea of ceding territory to appease Russia, but Trump believes Crimea may be on the table after Zelensky briefly mentioned the peninsula to him during their 15-minute meeting in Rome.
Asked if he thought Zelensky was prepared to cede Crimea, Trump responded, “I think so.”
In 2014, Russia invaded the Crimean Peninsula and annexed it. But many countries still recognize Crimea as Ukrainian territory. Trump blamed the situation involving Crimea and the larger war on former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
“Crimea was [eleven] years ago. That was President Obama that gave it up without a shot being fired. Don’t talk to me about Crimea. Talk to Obama and Biden about Crimea,” the president told reporters on Sunday, casting the conflict as “Biden’s war.”
Regarding the current state of negotiations, Trump put the responsibility on Putin to move toward a peace deal.
“I want him to stop shooting, sit down and sign the deal,” he said of Putin. “We have the confines of a deal, I believe, and I want him to sign it and be done with it.”