Donald Trump said Russia and Ukraine had agreed a three-day ceasefire and prisoner swap in a deal he described as “hopefully” the “beginning of the end of a very long, deadly and hard-fought war”.
The US president wrote on Truth Social on Friday that the three-day “suspension of all kinetic activity” would take place from Saturday, May 9, through Monday, May 11, to coincide with the Victory Day celebrations in Russia. Trump also said Russia and Ukraine had agreed to swap 1,000 prisoners from each country.
Trump said he “directly” requested the suspension of hostilities, and that it had been agreed to by Russia’s leader, Vladimir Putin, and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.