Ukraine Skeptical of Putin’s May Ceasefire, Calls for Immediate Truce
Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced a three-day ceasefire with Ukraine to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory in World War II, The Gaze reports.
The Kremlin said the ceasefire will run from May 8 to May 10, suspending all hostilities, and called on Ukraine to reciprocate.
Ukraine swiftly responded with skepticism. Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine’s Minister for Foreign Affairs , called for an immediate month-long ceasefire rather than a short symbolic pause.
“If Russia truly wants peace, it must cease fire immediately. Why wait until May 8th? If the fire can be ceased now and since any date for 30 days—so it is real, not just for a parade,” Sybiha wrote on X.
“Ukraine is ready to support a lasting, durable, and full ceasefire. And this is what we are constantly proposing, for at least 30 days,” he added.
Analysts suggested that Putin’s move is aimed primarily at preventing Ukrainian drone attacks from disrupting Moscow’s Victory Day celebrations and at appealing to Washington amid rising U.S. frustration with Russia’s ongoing assaults.
Ukrainian journalist Svitlana Morenets commented for The Guardian: “Putin announcing another short-term ceasefire means only one thing: there will be no peace deal in the coming weeks. And no truce on the frontline either. Putin is just putting on a show to calm Trump down.”
Tensions remain high: air raid sirens sounded across parts of Ukraine on Monday, warning of fresh attacks, while the Ukrainian military confirmed that Russia continues to launch artillery and drone strikes along the frontlines.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed disappointment with Russia’s actions, urging Putin to “stop shooting, sit down and sign a deal,” amid warnings that Washington could abandon peace efforts if Moscow does not show progress.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s recent interviews hinted at continued hardline positions, demanding international recognition of Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories as a precondition for negotiations — terms Ukraine and its allies have firmly rejected.
As The Gaze previously reported, at a meeting in the Czech Republic on 25 April, the countries of the so-called ‘coalition of the willing’ reaffirmed the need to guarantee a ceasefire in Ukraine before negotiations on a longer-term peace settlement begin.
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