Russia and Ukraine announce separate truces for a temporary period
Russia declared a unilateral ceasefire with Ukraine between May 8 and 9, coinciding with Moscow's commemoration of Victory Day in World War II, while Kyiv announced a truce for May 5 and 6.
President Vladimir Putin has declared a two-day (May 8 and9) ceasefire in the war with Ukraine to coincide with the celebration of "Victory Day," the Russian Defense Ministry reported.
The ministry added that it was counting on the Ukrainian side's response in kind, noting that Russia would launch large-scale missile strikes on central Kyiv if Ukraine tried to disrupt the Victory Day celebrations.
"Despite the capabilities we have, Russia has previously refrained from carrying out such actions on humanitarian grounds," it said in a statement, adding that it was ready to take action if Kyiv did not respect the ceasefire.
"We warn the civilian population of Kyiv and the staff of foreign diplomatic missions (if) there will be a need for them to leave the city in time," the Russian defense said.
Zelensky declares truce too
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv would abide by a ceasefire from midnight on May 5.
Zelensky wrote on Telegram that Russia had not responded to Kyiv's calls for a ceasefire, and that Ukraine would go ahead with it because it believed that "human life is much more precious than 'celebrating' any anniversary."
"In this regard, we are announcing a truce regime starting from 00:00 on the night of May 5 to May 6," he wrote.
Zelensky did not set a timeframe for the ceasefire, but said Ukraine "will act consistently and consistently from the moment it is set."
Zelensky told reporters earlier that Kyiv had not received any formal proposals for a ceasefire during that period.
Putin and Trump discuss "Victory Day truce"
Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump held a lengthy phone call that lasted about 90 minutes on April 29 , 2026, during which they discussed the possibility of declaring a ceasefire in Ukraine to coincide with Russia's "Victory Day" celebrations on May 9, according to official statements from both sides.
During the call, Putin told his U.S. counterpart he was ready to discuss a temporary truce, while Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that he had "proposed a little ceasefire," expressing optimism that Moscow might respond to the initiative.
Trump called the move positive, noting that Victory Day represented a "shared victory" for the Allies over Nazism in World War II.
The call also touched on the crisis in Iran, with Putin praising Trump's decision to extend the ceasefire there, while Trump stressed the need for Moscow to focus on ending the war in Ukraine rather than getting involved in the Iranian uranium file, according to the summaries of the call issued by the two capitals.
Zelenskyy then asked the United States for clarification on the details of the discussion, reiterating that Ukraine supports a permanent ceasefire and a peace settlement backed by security guarantees.
Why is May 9 called "Victory Day" in Russia?
The name "Victory Day" (День День Победы) in Russia is a direct reference to the event that changed the course of the twentieth century: the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, or what the Russians call the "Great Patriotic War."
The choice of the name was not just a military characterization, but a national symbol that embodies the enormous sacrifices that historians have estimated at more than 27 million civilian and military deaths.
The celebration on May 9 dates back to the moment Germany signed the unconditional surrender document in Berlin at 23:01 on the evening of May 8, 1945, and while the West recorded this date as Victory Day in Europe, it was past midnight in Moscow, and May 9, which was adopted by the Soviet leadership as the official date of the victory celebrations, was the official date of the victory celebrations.
Former Russian leader Joseph Stalin has declared the day an official holiday since 1945, but it was not until 1965 that the Soviet leadership decided to entrench the occasion in the public consciousness and honor veterans, and it later became one of the most important pillars of modern Russian identity.
Victory Day is no longer just a military commemoration, but a political and cultural occasion in which the memory of the war is restored and the narrative of national power that continues to play a central role in Russian discourse today is reformulated.