War in Ukraine: a truce on May 9? Zelensky wants details

Vladimir Putin proposes ceasefire in Ukraine, with Donald Trump’s approval

• On Wednesday, Vladimir Putin proposed a ceasefire in Ukraine starting on May 9, stating that Donald Trump approved of this initiative.
• His Ukrainian counterpart is seeking more details, as Ukraine has been requesting a multi-day ceasefire for weeks.

The hostilities between Russia and Ukraine may pause for a few hours. This proposal was made by the Kremlin through the White House. The key question now is whether Kiev will accept it: Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Thursday, April 30 that he has asked the United States for “details“.

The Ukrainian president has indeed questioned the precise nature of the Russian proposal. “We will clarify exactly what it is about: a few hours of security for a parade in Moscow, or something more significant,” he said, indicating his desire to “clarify the details” with the American presidency.

The “active” support of Donald Trump

Washington is acting as an intermediary between the two enemies. Vladimir Putin made this proposal to halt the fighting on May 9 during a phone call with Donald Trump on Wednesday, according to the Kremlin, which stated that the American leader “actively supported this initiative“. The duration of this ceasefire remains uncertain: Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov clarified on Thursday that “for now, it concerns Victory Day (May 9, note), but the precise moment of its entry into force and cessation will be decided by the president” of Russia.

Ukraine has long been calling for an extended truce on the front lines to facilitate negotiations to reach an agreement to stop the war triggered by the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022, the worst conflict in Europe since World War II. Moscow rejects this, arguing that a longer ceasefire would allow Kiev to strengthen its defenses.

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War in Ukraine: Vladimir Putin proposes a ceasefire on May 9

The 9th of May, the anniversary date in Russia of the Nazi Germany’s surrender marking the end of World War II in 1945, is commemorated every year with grand displays of military power across the country. But this year, the military parade on Red Square in Moscow will be scaled back, without the deployment of military equipment, with the Kremlin justifying this decision as a “terrorist threat” posed by Ukraine.