Russia announces 3-day Ukraine war ceasefire next week for WWII commemoration

The Associated Press

· Posted: Apr 28, 2025 9:04 AM EDT | Last Updated: 5 minutes ago

The Kremlin said connected Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the afloat cessation of hostilities successful the Ukraine warfare connected "humanitarian grounds" arsenic Russia celebrates the Victory Day implicit Nazi Germany successful the Second World War.

The truce volition commencement conscionable aft midnight connected May 8.

It comes arsenic U.S. President Donald Trump's medication has made efforts to broker a bid woody successful the war, which is present successful its 4th year. 

"Russia believes that the Ukrainian broadside should travel this example," the Kremlin said successful a statement. "In lawsuit of violations of the ceasefire by the Ukrainian side, the Russian equipped forces volition springiness an capable and businesslike response."

There was nary contiguous absorption from Ukraine, which has antecedently agreed to Trump's connection of a afloat 30-day ceasefire.

Up until now, Putin had refused to judge a implicit unconditional ceasefire, linking it to a halt successful Western arms supplies to Ukraine and Ukraine's mobilization effort.

Putin acknowledgment North Korea for warfare aid

Prior to the Kremlin announcement, Ukraine and Russia had targeted each different with long-range strikes aboriginal connected Monday.

The Russian Defence Ministry said its forces downed 119 Ukrainian drones overnight, astir of them implicit Russia's Bryansk borderline region. 

In Ukraine, aerial raid sirens rang retired crossed the state connected Monday morning. There were nary contiguous reports of casualties oregon damage. 

The result of a propulsion by the Trump medication to swiftly extremity the warring remains unclear, clouded by conflicting claims from American officials, and doubts astir however overmuch each broadside mightiness beryllium consenting to compromise amid heavy hostility and mistrust. 

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday that this week would beryllium "very critical." The U.S. needs to "make a determination astir whether this is an endeavour that we privation to proceed to beryllium progressive in," helium said connected NBC's Meet the Press.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov discussed the warfare successful a telephone telephone with Rubio connected Sunday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

U.S. subject assistance has been important for Ukraine's warfare effort, and further assistance could beryllium astatine hazard if the Trump medication walks distant from attempts to extremity the war. 

Trump said connected the play that helium harbours doubts astir Putin's sincerity successful pursuing a deal, arsenic Russian forces person continued to onslaught civilian areas of Ukraine with cruise and ballistic missiles portion the talks person proceeded. But connected Friday, Trump described a brokered colony connected the warfare arsenic "close." 

WATCH l Kyiv's politician says pugnacious choices volition beryllium required successful ceasefire: 

Western European officials person accused the Kremlin of dragging its feet connected bid talks truthful that Russian forces, which are bigger than Ukraine's and person battlefield momentum, tin seizure much Ukrainian land. 

The warfare that broke retired aft Russia's full-scale penetration successful February 2022 has developed a important planetary dimension, further complicating negotiations. Putin connected Monday thanked North Korea for sending what the U.S. estimates are thousands of troops to assistance combat Ukraine, arsenic good arsenic allegedly supplying artillery ammunition. 

Putin's comments came arsenic North Korea's media organs for the archetypal clip confirmed the country's information successful the war, with person Kim Jong-Un praising the fighters "as heroes and representatives of the honour of the motherland," according to authorities quality bureau KCNA.