Trump Announces Three-Day Russia-Ukraine Ceasefire, Hails Move Toward Ending War

Washington, May 2026 : Donald Trump announced that Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a three-day ceasefire, describing the development as a potentially significant step toward ending the prolonged and devastating conflict between the two nations.

In a statement issued on Friday, Trump said the temporary ceasefire would be observed from May 9 to May 11 and would coincide with Russia’s annual Victory Day commemorations marking the Soviet Union’s victory in World War II.

“I am pleased to announce that there will be a THREE DAY CEASEFIRE (May 9th, 10th, and 11th) in the War between Russia and Ukraine,” Trump said.

The US President noted that while May 9 holds deep significance in Russia as Victory Day, Ukraine also shares an important historical connection to World War II and the defeat of Nazi Germany.

“The celebration in Russia is for Victory Day but, likewise, in Ukraine, because they were also a big part and factor of World War II,” Trump stated.

According to Trump, the agreement includes a suspension of active combat operations during the three-day period. He said both sides had agreed to halt “all kinetic activity,” suggesting a broad pause in military actions across the conflict zones.

“This Ceasefire will include a suspension of all kinetic activity,” he said.

Trump also revealed that the temporary truce would include one of the largest prisoner exchanges since the conflict escalated. Under the agreement, Russia and Ukraine are expected to exchange 1,000 prisoners each.

“And also a prison swap of 1,000 prisoners from each country,” Trump added.

The US President indicated that the ceasefire initiative was undertaken directly through his efforts and thanked both Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy for accepting the proposal.

“This request was made directly by me,” Trump said. “I very much appreciate its agreement by President Vladimir Putin and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.”

Trump described the development as a possible turning point in the war, which has continued for more than two years and caused massive casualties, destruction of infrastructure, and displacement of civilians across the region.

“Hopefully, it is the beginning of the end of a very long, deadly, and hard fought War,” he said.

He also suggested that broader negotiations aimed at permanently ending the conflict are continuing behind the scenes.

“Talks are continuing on ending this Major Conflict, the biggest since World War II, and we are getting closer and closer every day,” Trump added.

If successfully implemented, the ceasefire would represent one of the most significant coordinated pauses in hostilities since the war intensified. Earlier attempts at temporary truces and humanitarian pauses have often collapsed quickly amid accusations of violations from both sides.

The announcement comes at a time when international pressure has been mounting on Moscow and Kyiv to pursue diplomatic options while fighting continues across multiple fronts.

Victory Day on May 9 remains one of Russia’s most important national observances, commemorating the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. Ukraine also honours the legacy of the war, although in recent years it has increasingly moved away from Soviet-era symbolism as part of its broader political and cultural shift toward Europe.

The coming days are expected to test whether the ceasefire can hold and whether it could open the door for more substantive peace negotiations between the two countries.

(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)