Trump Announces Three-Day Russia-Ukraine Ceasefire, Prisoner Swap Deal

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday announced a three-day ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war from May 9th to 11th, saying both Moscow and Kyiv had agreed to halt all military activity and swap 1,000 prisoners each.

“This request was made directly by me,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social account, adding that he appreciated the agreement of both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the terms.

The pause coincides with Russia’s Victory Day on May 9, the country’s most significant national holiday, marking the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945.

Trump also cited Ukraine’s role in World War II as justification for the truce on its side.

The announcement follows a phone call last week in which Putin signalled his willingness to declare a temporary halt in fighting to mark the occasion. Russia subsequently declared a unilateral ceasefire from May 8 to 9, urging Ukraine to follow suit.

Zelenskyy had initially sought clarification on the terms, questioning whether the proposed pause amounted to a few hours of calm for a Moscow parade or a more meaningful cessation of hostilities. He also pushed for a longer-term ceasefire backed by security guarantees.

“Hopefully, it is the beginning of the end of a very long, deadly, and hard fought war,” Trump wrote, adding that the two sides are getting closer to a resolution every day.

This is not the first time the two sides have observed a pause in fighting. Putin declared a 32-hour ceasefire in April to coincide with Orthodox Easter, though both sides accused each other of violations before the truce expired.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, efforts to end the war have repeatedly stalled over territorial disputes, with Moscow demanding that Kyiv cede areas occupied by Russian forces, a condition Ukraine has rejected.