Donald Trump announced a three-day truce between Russia and Ukraine on the occasion of Victory Over Nazi-Fascism, which Moscow celebrates on May 9. He made this known on Truth, explaining that he had personally asked Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky to take this step.
The truce and the exchange of prisoners
The guns are reportedly expected to fall silent May 9-11. The ceasefire would also include an exchange of a thousand prisoners on each side. Trump expressed the hope that this initiative could “mark the beginning of the end” of the conflict.
The Ukrainian president is cautious: «We will see if the Russians respect it or we will act accordingly. The United States will act as guarantor.”
Raids and tensions on the eve of the parade
The announcement comes on the eve of the traditional parade in Red Square, in a climate marked by mutual attacks. Despite the truce, drone raids were recorded on both fronts during the day.
According to Kiev, Russia launched 67 drones against Ukrainian territory, while Moscow claims to have intercepted over 400 Ukrainian drones and responded “symmetrically” to the violations.
Russian Foreign Minister Serghei Lavrov reiterated that in the event of attacks on the parade the response will be harsh, while Zelensky accused Moscow of not having respected any ceasefire so far.
Diplomacy and scenarios
The truce represents a first step in renewed American mediation. From Rome, Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated his willingness to mediate, warning however that the efforts must not be in vain.
In the meantime, there are also hypotheses of dialogue between the European Union and Russia for a future security architecture, while the distances between the parties remain strong on the conditions for starting a discussion.