War in Ukraine: Donald Trump announces a three-day ceasefire between kyiv and Moscow starting Saturday

American President Donald Trump announced on Friday May 8 that a three-day ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia would take effect on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, while Moscow had already decreed a unilateral truce for its part before the commemorations in Russia of 9-May. “This request was made directly by me and I greatly appreciate that Presidents Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy have agreed to it”he specifies on his Truth Social platform.

“Let us hope that this is the beginning of the end of a very long, bloody and difficult war”writes the President of the United States, adding that the truce would include in particular “a prisoner exchange of 1,000 inmates from each country”. “Talks continue to end this major conflict, the largest since World War II, and we are getting closer and closer every day.”he concludes.

After this announcement, Volodymyr Zelensky demanded the implementation of the ceasefire during these three days, according to a decree published on the presidential website. On X, the Ukrainian president also ordered his army not to attack the May 9 parade in Moscow. “Red Square is less important to us than the lives of Ukrainian prisoners who can be brought home”he wrote on the social network.

Russia also confirmed this truce and the exchange of prisoners. “I confirm that the Russian side accepts the initiative proposed by US President Donald Trump regarding a ceasefire for an exchange of prisoners of war between Russia and Ukraine”the diplomatic advisor to the Russian president, Yuri Ushakov, told journalists.