On Monday, Russian President Putin announced a 72-hour ceasefire from May 8 to May 10 during the 80th anniversary celebrations of Russia's Victory in the Great Patriotic War. This move aims to provide a humanitarian aid window for civilians. However, Ukrainian President Zelensky strongly opposed the proposal, calling Putin's ceasefire suggestion "another manipulation," accusing Russia of deliberately delaying and attempting to create favorable conditions for the parade.
Zelensky stated, "Yet another manipulation attempt: for some reason, everyone has to wait until May 8 to ceasefire—just to keep Putin's parade quiet." He also pointed out that Russia's April 28 attack on civilian targets proves that Russia does not wish to end the war. He added, "We value human life, not parades. That's why we believe—and so does the whole world—there's no reason to wait until May 8."
A statement from the Kremlin on Monday said the ceasefire would cover May 9, Russia's Victory Day celebrations, aiming to provide a humanitarian breather for civilians. Russia hopes Ukraine will make reciprocal arrangements and emphasizes that if Ukraine violates the ceasefire agreement, the Russian military will "respond appropriately and effectively." Additionally, Russia reiterated its willingness to engage in unconditional peace talks to eliminate the root of the conflict.
In response to Putin's ceasefire proposal, Zelensky again called for a complete, unconditional ceasefire, stressing that "the ceasefire should not just last for a few days, only to return to killing afterward." He expressed that the ceasefire should last at least 30 days to ensure its reliability and security.
Zelensky also called on the international community to increase pressure on Russia to compel it to stop the war. He said, "Every new day clearly demonstrates that pressure must be applied to Russia and applied sufficiently enough to force Moscow to end this war that only Russia needs."
White House spokesperson Leavitt stated on Monday that U.S. President Trump welcomes Putin's willingness to pause the conflict but hopes Ukraine achieves a complete ceasefire. Trump expressed increasing disappointment with the leaders of both countries and stated that they should negotiate a way out of this crisis.
Currently, the United States is intensifying efforts to separately negotiate with Ukraine and Russia to promote a peace agreement. Nonetheless, the sincerity of both Russia and Ukraine in reaching a peace agreement is increasingly questioned. Previously, Ukraine agreed to the U.S.-proposed 30-day comprehensive ceasefire, but Russia refused and proposed extreme conditions, making progress in peace talks more difficult.
Last Saturday (April 26), Trump expressed doubts about whether Putin genuinely wants to end the war against Ukraine and threatened to impose stricter sanctions on Russia. U.S. Secretary of State Rubio stated, "Now is not the time to increase sanctions," indicating that the coming days are crucial in determining whether the U.S. continues to commit to ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
