Trump secures three-day Russia-Ukraine ceasefire ahead of Victory Day celebrations

Europe-Asia, International

WASHINGTON, D.C. — United States President Donald Trump has announced a three-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine as part of efforts to ease tensions in the ongoing war between both countries.

The ceasefire, scheduled to hold from May 9 to May 11, 2026, is expected to coincide with Victory Day commemorations in Russia.

In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump said the temporary truce would create an enabling environment for the celebrations in both countries, noting that Ukraine also played a major role during World War II.

“This ceasefire will include a suspension of all kinetic activity, and also a prison swap of 1,000 prisoners from each country,” Trump stated.

According to the U.S. president, the request for the brief pause in hostilities was made directly by him, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had both agreed to the arrangement.

“Hopefully, it is the beginning of the end of a very long, deadly, and hard-fought war,” he added.

Trump further disclosed that negotiations aimed at permanently ending the conflict — which he described as the biggest war since World War II — were ongoing and making steady progress.

The development comes amid intensified cross-border attacks by both sides in recent days. Ukraine has significantly expanded its capacity to strike targets deep inside Russia.

On Thursday, Ukrainian forces reportedly struck a facility belonging to Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) in Chechnya. The FSB, known in Russian as Federalnaya Sluzhba Bezopasnosti, is Russia’s principal domestic security and intelligence agency.

Ukraine also reportedly carried out a drone strike on an aviation control centre facility, forcing the temporary closure of 13 airports across Russia and disrupting thousands of flights.

In recent months, Kyiv has also intensified long-range strikes targeting Russian oil and gas infrastructure, describing the operations as part of efforts to enforce sanctions against Russia’s energy exports.

Russia, on its part, has continued heavy drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian targets, in what observers describe as an escalating cycle of retaliatory strikes by both sides.

The ceasefire agreement is expected to reduce tensions temporarily and may help prevent disruptions to events scheduled to take place in Moscow during the Victory Day celebrations.