Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that the Russian military would cease military operations from 00:00 Moscow time on May 7-8 and until 00:00 on May 10-11.
The ceasefire was declared in honor of the 80th anniversary of Victory Day, with Putin emphasizing that he once again declares his readiness for peace negotiations without preconditions, with the aim of eliminating the root causes of the Ukrainian crisis.
“Russia believes that the Ukrainian side should follow this example. If the ceasefire is violated, the Russian military will give an adequate and effective response,” Vladimir Putin emphasized.
Ukraine also promised to cease hostilities during that time, although both sides reported numerous violations during the first ceasefire attempt on April 19.
With this decision, Putin once again emphasized Russia’s readiness to negotiate with Ukraine, to which the Ukrainian side responded positively, thus creating the prerequisites for the start of the negotiation process, it was stated in the press release.
On Saturday, just before Pope Francis’ funeral Mass, such a dialogue took place between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Photos showed the two Presidents seated face-to-face in St. Peter’s Basilica, deep in conversation.
A spokesperson for the White House called the discussion “very productive”. President Zelensky, meanwhile, said that it had been a “good meeting,” adding that the pair had “discussed a lot one on one.”
“Hoping for results on everything we covered,” President Zelensky wrote on social media. “Protecting the lives of our people. Full and unconditional ceasefire. Reliable and lasting peace that will prevent another war from breaking out.”
Recently, that ceasefire had appeared less and less likely. The last time Presidents Trump and Zelensky met in person, the discussion devolved into an acrimonious verbal brawl. Earlier this month, President Trump and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio threatened to “walk away” from efforts to broker a peace deal. And just two days ago, Russia carried out its deadliest air attack on Kyiv since the beginning of the year.
On Saturday, the discussion seemed far more productive. President Zelensky said it was a “very symbolic meeting, with the potential to become historic, if we achieve joint results.”
