US President Donald Trump said Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a three-day ceasefire and a large exchange of prisoners, in what he described as a possible step towards ending the war.
Speaking on Friday, Trump said both Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy accepted his request for a pause in fighting.
“I asked and President Putin agreed. President Zelenskyy agreed both readily,” Trump said, according to AP. “We have a little period of time where they’re not going to be killing people.”
He said the ceasefire would run from May 9 to May 11 and include a halt to all military activity as well as an exchange of 1,000 prisoners from each side.
Trump said he hoped the move could be “the beginning of the end of a very long, deadly, and hard-fought war,” AP reported.
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Ceasefire linked to prisoner swap
Zelenskyy confirmed the agreement and said Ukraine’s approach was shaped by the chance to bring prisoners home.
“Red Square matters less to us than the lives of Ukrainian prisoners of war who can be brought home,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram, as quoted by AP.
Russia also confirmed the arrangement through presidential adviser Yuri Ushakov.
Victory Day timing
The ceasefire coincides with Victory Day celebrations in Russia, marking the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. Zelenskyy issued a decree allowing the event to proceed without Ukrainian strikes, framing it as part of the agreement.
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However, earlier attempts at temporary ceasefires have failed, with both sides accusing each other of violations.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said efforts to reach a broader settlement have so far not succeeded.
“While we’re prepared to play whatever role we can… those efforts have stagnated,” Rubio said.
The war began in February 2022 and talks to end it are ongoing.
