US President Donald Trump said on social media that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to a three-day ceasefire from May 9 to May 11, including a reciprocal prisoner exchange of 1,000 detainees each. The White House initiative, Trump said, would suspend “all kinetic activity” during the pause and pave the way for further talks.
The Kremlin indicated Moscow found the US-proposed arrangement acceptable. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told journalists that Russia was ready to take part in a ceasefire timed to allow a prisoner swap to proceed.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed a truce had been arranged under US mediation and said a 1,000-for-1,000 exchange had been agreed. Zelenskyy also issued a decree ordering Ukrainian forces not to target Moscow’s Red Square during Russia’s Victory Day parade on May 9, temporarily excluding the area from operations during the scheduled parade hours.
The apparent breakthrough follows a week in which both sides had declared short, unilateral pauses and repeatedly accused each other of violating them. Moscow has continued to launch missiles and drone attacks even as it announced its own limited ceasefires; Kyiv has repeatedly denounced those moves as insufficient and politically timed for Russia’s celebrations. Ukrainian officials said Russian strikes in recent days killed at least 27 people and caused numerous injuries, including an attack that struck rescuers returning to a scene.
Moscow is holding a scaled-back Victory Day parade: tanks and heavy hardware will not be displayed on Red Square and attendance by foreign leaders is limited. Kremlin officials cited the threat of Ukrainian strikes as the reason for cutting back the usual military show.
Russia’s defense ministry said its forces were responding “symmetrically” to Ukrainian attacks, while Kyiv has accused Moscow of using the ceasefire announcements to shield celebratory events rather than to end fighting.
Internationally, US officials signaled willingness to help mediate if discussions are productive. Senator Marco Rubio, speaking for the US foreign-policy stance, said Washington is prepared to mediate but will not waste time if progress stalls. Zelenskyy said he expects US envoys to visit Kyiv in coming weeks to try to revive negotiations.
The conflict’s humanitarian toll remains severe. The World Health Organization reported more than 3,000 attacks on Ukraine’s health system since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022, with roughly 80% of incidents targeting hospitals and clinics. Separately, Ukrainian authorities said a crashed drone sparked a large forest fire inside the Chernobyl exclusion zone; radiation levels were reported within normal limits as firefighters worked to contain the blaze.
While the short ceasefire and prisoner swap, if implemented, would be a notable development, long-standing diplomatic efforts to produce a lasting peace have so far failed. Officials from all sides said talks would continue.