U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday announced that Russia and Ukraine will be engaging in a three-day-long ceasefire along with a prisoner swap.
The president, who made the statement on Truth Social, said the ceasefire would take place on May 9, May 10, and May 11, which coincides with the Russian Victory Day holiday on May 9.
“This Ceasefire will include a suspension of all kinetic activity, and also a prison swap of 1,000 prisoners from each Country,” he wrote in the post. “This request was made directly by me, and I very much appreciate its agreement by [Russian] President Vladimir Putin and [Ukrainian] President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.”
Trump added that he hopes the pause in military activity “is the beginning of the end of a very long, deadly, and hard fought” conflict that started in late February 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine.
Adding that talks between Moscow and Kyiv are ongoing, the president said, "We are getting closer and closer every day” to the two countries coming to a peace agreement.
In a response to Trump, Zelenskyy wrote in a post on X that Ukraine agreed to a U.S. proposal to swap 1,000 prisoners with Russia.
"That is why today, a ceasefire regime must also be established on May 9, 10, and 11,” he wrote on Friday. “Ukraine is consistently working to bring its people home from Russian captivity. I have instructed our team to promptly prepare everything necessary for the exchange.”
Zelenskyy added, “I thank the President of the United States and his team for their productive diplomatic involvement."
The Russian government did not publicly respond to Trump's announcement on Friday.
Moscow and Kyiv have separately announced their own ceasefires on different days, with Zelenskyy writing, “We believe that human life is far more valuable than any anniversary ‘celebration,’” referring to Victory Day. “In this regard, we are announcing a ceasefire regime starting at 00:00 on the night of May 5-6,” he added.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense said in a post on Telegram that its forces would initiate “an armistice from” midnight on May 8 until May 10.
“During the specified period, all groups of Russian troops in the special military operation zone will completely cease fire,” the statement said, referring to the term Russia uses to describe its war with Ukraine.
Last month, Trump spoke with Putin on the possibility of a ceasefire on May 9, with the U.S. president telling reporters that he had suggested to the Russian leader in a recent phone call for “a little bit of a ceasefire” in the war in Ukraine.
During the call, Putin offered to help the United States on the issue of Iran's enriched uranium, a key obstacle to a deal to end the U.S.–Iran war, Trump said at the time. Trump said that he would want Putin to instead try to end the conflict with Ukraine.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters in late April that Putin had proposed the temporary ceasefire in Ukraine for the Victory Day celebrations, which were held to mark the Soviet Union’s involvement in the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Telegram that Moscow’s forces would take all measures to ensure the safety of the commemorations. It warned that any attempt by Ukraine to disrupt the celebrations would prompt retaliation.