President Vladimir Putin on Monday declared a two-day unilateral ceasefire in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to take effect on May 8 and May 9, marking the anniversary of Nazi Germany’s capitulation and the end of World War II in Europe in 1945.
Russia’s Defense Ministry announced the offer and said it expected Ukraine to reciprocate. The ministry warned that if Ukraine declined and carried out attacks on May 9 commemorations in Moscow later in the week, Russia would respond with a “massive missile attack” on “the center” of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. It added that, “despite the capabilities at our disposal, Russia has previously refrained from such actions on humanitarian grounds,” and urged Kyiv residents and staff at foreign diplomatic missions to leave the city in a timely manner.
May 8 and 9 share historical significance: Nazi Germany formally capitulated at 11:01 p.m. Berlin time on May 8, 1945, ending the war in Europe. Because clocks had already passed midnight in Moscow, the Soviet Union—and now Russia—celebrates Victory Day on May 9, commemorating the “Great Patriotic War.” Since Russia’s 2022 invasion, Ukraine has moved its commemoration from May 9 to May 8 to align with Western Europe and the United States. As part of the Soviet Union between Berlin and Moscow, Ukraine suffered immense losses in World War II; estimates place Ukrainians second only to ethnic Russians in total Soviet wartime deaths.
In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine had received “no official appeal” from Russia and proposed an earlier ceasefire. “We believe that human life is incomparably more valuable than the ‘celebration’ of any anniversary. In this regard, we are announcing a ceasefire regime, starting from 00:00 on the night of 5 to 6 May,” he wrote on social media, saying Ukraine would mirror the step from that moment. It was unclear from the English-language wording whether Zelenskyy’s offer was intended to be open-ended or to extend through the May 8-9 window.
Putin first floated the idea of a truce last week during a phone call with US President Donald Trump. Ukraine said it would seek details from Washington about the offer. Speaking at a European Political Community summit in Yerevan, Armenia, Zelenskyy suggested Russia’s lower-key May 9 plans indicate vulnerability. He noted that Russia had announced a May 9 parade in Moscow without military equipment and said, “They cannot afford military equipment — and they fear drones may buzz over Red Square. This is telling. It shows they are not strong now.”
Edited by: Alex Berry