Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a two-day ceasefire in the war with Ukraine on May 8 and 9, to mark the anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, reports Beta.
This was announced today by the Russian Ministry of Defense, adding that it expects that the Ukrainian side will do the same, and that Russia will launch a massive retaliatory missile attack on the center of Kiev if Ukraine tries to interfere with the Victory Day celebrations.
“Despite the capabilities at our disposal, Russia previously refrained from such actions for humanitarian reasons,” the ministry stated.
They also announced that they are ready to act if the ceasefire is not respected.
“We are warning the civilian population of Kyiv and the staff of foreign diplomatic missions of the need to leave the city in a timely manner,” the statement said, according to Reuters.
Zelensky: Ukraine was not informed about the ceasefire
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine has not received any official offer regarding the May 9 one-day ceasefire negotiated by the US and Russia.
The president called such an offer “dishonest”.
“This is Russia’s war against Ukraine. If America and Russia are negotiating, it is important that our side knows what is being discussed. A cease-fire for one day, and before that killing our people – that is unfair,” said Zelensky.
He cited recent Russian attacks on Dnieper and Merefa in Kharkiv Oblast, where people, including children, were killed or injured.
“After such attacks, stop rocket and drone strikes on Ukrainian cities for one day before the parade (in Moscow), and already in the morning after May 9 they will kill us again,” he said, Ukrainian public service reports.
Zelensky previously stated that Russia fears the appearance of Ukrainian drones during the parade in Moscow on May 9, and added that this year’s event will be held without military equipment for the first time in a long time.
Russian President Vladimir Putin recently spoke with US President Donald Trump on the phone for an hour and a half, among other things, about the Russian leader’s readiness to declare a “truce” on the occasion of May 9.
During the briefing after the talks, Trump said that he proposed to Putin “a small ceasefire” and added that, in his opinion, Putin can do it. He also stated that, in his opinion, Putin had long been ready to reach an agreement, but that “some people made it difficult for him to do so.”
Zelensky also said afterwards that Ukraine was not informed.
Zelensky: Armistice on May 5
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday that Ukraine will respect the ceasefire that begins at midnight on the night of Tuesday, May 5, reports Reuters.
Zelensky, writing on Telegram, stated that Russia did not respond to Kiev’s calls for a ceasefire and that Ukraine is doing so because it believes that “human life is incomparably more valuable than the ‘celebration’ of any anniversary.”
“In this regard, we declare a regime of silence starting at 00:00 on the night between May 5 and 6,” he wrote.
Zelensky did not specify a time frame for the ceasefire, but said that Ukraine “will act symmetrically from
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