Washington: Trump hopes to extend the three-day ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia. The Russian and Ukrainian governments confirmed on Friday that they have reached a three-day ceasefire agreement, from May 9 to 11, brokered by the United States. U.S. President Donald Trump expressed hope that the ceasefire would be extended.
According to Thai News Agency, President Trump announced the ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine via the TruthSocial platform, stating that the two countries, embroiled in more than four years of war, would halt hostilities and exchange 1,000 prisoners of war each.
President Trump told reporters late Friday that he wanted to see a longer ceasefire, a possibility that could happen, amidst accusations from both Ukraine and Russia of violating the previously announced ceasefire. This comes as Russia prepares for its Victory Day parade on May 9th, commemorating the 1945 victory over Nazi Germany.
Regarding this agreement, President Trump stated that it was a direct request from him and thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for accepting the offer, which he hoped would be the beginning of an end to the violent and protracted war.
President Zelenskyy confirmed via Telegram that the ceasefire was part of the US negotiation efforts and emphasized that humanitarian concerns are the top priority, leading to the prisoner exchange agreement of 1,000 for 1,000.
Meanwhile, Kremlin advisor Yuri Uchakov stated that Russia accepted President Trump's offer through a telephone discussion. Similarly, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin revealed that air defense systems intercepted several Ukrainian drones heading towards the capital late Friday night. However, despite the ceasefire announcement, both sides continue to clash with missiles and drones. Overall peace negotiations remain stalled because Ukraine has rejected President Putin's demands for the surrender of territories it has defended since 2022.