Missiles and drones largely – but not completely – stopped flying today on the first of three days of truce brokered by Donald Trump. The US president won the agreement of both Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky for a three day truce after a two-day Kremlin pause in fighting signally failed. It is the first time Putin has agreed to halt the war with outside intervention, as his invasion push is stymied, but Trump denied Putin had pleaded for the pause which will also involve an exchange of 1,000 POWs on each side. “It is a sign of his growing weakness and the damaging impact of the latest Ukrainian strikes deep inside Russia, and rising hostility from his own people,” said a Moscow source. Putin is suddenly vulnerable, even scared and enfeebled. The dictator has blinked first.”
The Kremlin has acknowledged that Putin’s security has been tightened around today’s Victory Day parade.
But it was forced to deny a Western intelligence report that he feared a coup from within his own regime.
It was even claimed that security council secretary and ex-defence minister Sergei Shoigu was behind a plot.
Russian officials have dismissed reports of a coup plot as nonsense, reported Reuters.
THIS IS A BREAKING STORY. MORE TO FOLLOW…
