Kremlin Reaffirms Commitment to Unilateral Ceasefire Amid Ukraine’s Dismissal

The Kremlin announced on Tuesday that it remains committed to adhering to a 72-hour ceasefire unilaterally suggested by President Vladimir Putin during this week’s Victory Day celebrations, even though Ukraine has rejected the ceasefire.

Putin declared the ceasefire to be in effect from midnight on May 8 to May 11 in honor of the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.

“The temporary truce proposed by President Putin for the holidays is still valid,” stated Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov to the media.

Nevertheless, he warned that Russian forces would “swiftly respond” if Ukraine were to initiate attacks during this ceasefire window.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed the ceasefire as an empty gesture, particularly before Russia’s annual military parade in Red Square on May 9.

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry cautioned that foreign troops participating in the parade alongside Russian military personnel would be perceived as “sharing accountability” for Russia’s actions in the ongoing conflict.

“To march alongside them is to share in the responsibility for the deaths of innocent Ukrainian children, civilians, and military personnel, rather than to commemorate the victory over Nazism,” the ministry stated in a release.

U.S. President Donald Trump seemed to support the ceasefire proposal on Monday, remarking, “It may not seem like much, but it means a lot if you consider where we began.”

In March, Putin had turned down a ceasefire suggested by the U.S., which Zelensky had endorsed.

Reporting by AFP also contributed to this information.