The Russian Presidency (the Kremlin) announced on Thursday a two-day truce with Ukraine, effective from midnight Thursday/Friday. The measure aims to ensure a halt to all combat activities during the National Military Parade on May 9, following Moscow’s disregard for a separate Ukrainian ceasefire proposal earlier this week.اضافة اعلان
When asked by AFP whether the truce would take effect at midnight, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov replied: “Yes, we mean the 8th and 9th of May.”
In a related context, Ukraine accused Russia on Wednesday of violating a ceasefire proposed by Kyiv by launching dozens of ground attacks, airstrikes, and drone assaults. President Volodymyr Zelensky described these actions as Moscow’s “clear contempt” for peace.
Zelensky had proposed a ceasefire starting May 6 in response to President Vladimir Putin’s initial proposal for a truce on May 8 and 9, coinciding with Russia’s celebrations of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. In a statement, Zelensky noted that Russia—which never confirmed its commitment to Ukraine’s proposal—had committed 1,820 violations by Wednesday afternoon. “Russia’s choice is a clear contempt for the ceasefire and for saving lives,” he added.
These initiatives come amid stalled U.S.-backed peace talks to end the war, now in its fourth year, and as Russia continues an offensive to seize the remainder of the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine. Russia is set to hold a scaled-down version of its annual military parade in central Moscow this week, citing an increased risk of Ukrainian attacks.
On Monday, the Russian Ministry of Defense warned it would respond to any Ukrainian attacks during Victory Day celebrations with a “massive missile strike” on the capital, Kyiv. Furthermore, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated on Wednesday that it had warned diplomatic missions in Kyiv to evacuate their staff urgently in the event of a large-scale retaliatory strike if Ukraine attempts to disrupt the May 9 celebrations.
In a video posted on Telegram, Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said: “The Russian Foreign Ministry strongly urges the authorities of your countries… to treat this statement with the utmost responsibility and ensure the timely evacuation of personnel from diplomatic and other missions from the city of Kyiv, given the inevitability of a retaliatory strike by the Russian Armed Forces.”
