Russia announced on Wednesday that it will not deploy any military equipment this year for the traditional May 9 parade on Red Square due to the “terrorist threat” posed by Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday that he had asked the United States for “details” on the conditions of a ceasefire on May 9, the day Russia celebrates Soviet victory over Nazi Germany, proposed by Vladimir Putin during a phone call with Donald Trump. Zelensky questioned the exact nature of the Russian proposal: “We will clarify exactly what it is: a few hours of security for a parade in Moscow, or something more significant. Our proposal is for a long-term ceasefire.”
The day before, after a call between Putin and Trump, a Kremlin advisor stated that the Russian president was ready to “declare a ceasefire for the duration of the Victory Day celebrations”, adding that the American leader had “actively supported this initiative”. Russia announced on Wednesday that it will not deploy any military equipment this year for the traditional May 9 parade on Red Square due to the “terrorist threat” posed by Ukraine.
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Kiev has long requested an extended ceasefire on the front line
Ukraine, which is trying to repel the large-scale invasion of its territory by Russia since February 2022, attempted to disrupt the May 9 parade last year with drone attacks targeting Moscow in the preceding days. May 9, the anniversary date in Russia of the Nazi Germany surrender and the end of World War II in 1945, is commemorated each year with large demonstrations of strength across the country.
Moscow, whose troops have made little progress on the front line since the end of 2022 and are suffering high casualties, often refers to Ukrainian strikes on its territory as “terrorist”, which Kiev claims is a legitimate response to the large-scale Russian invasion.
Ukraine has long requested an extended ceasefire on the front line to facilitate negotiations to reach an agreement to end the war. But Moscow refuses, arguing that a broader ceasefire would allow Kiev to strengthen its defenses. During Orthodox Easter in April, a 32-hour ceasefire was declared on the front line, although both sides accused each other of multiple violations of the ceasefire.
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