1 month ago
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Vladimir Putin has declared there will be a three-day ceasefire next week by Russia in its war in Ukraine.
The president said it would be to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet Union and its allies over Nazi Germany in World War Two.
The truce is due to be from the start of Thursday 8 May (10pm on 7 May UK time) until the end of Saturday 10 May (10pm on 10 May UK time).
On 9 May, Mr Putin is set to host international leaders including Chinese President Xi Jinping for lavish celebrations to commemorate the WWII victory.
Russia has called on Ukraine to announce a truce of its own.
The Kremlin said during the 8-10 May ceasefire, "all military actions are suspended for this period. Russia believes that the Ukrainian side should follow this example".
"In the event of violations by the Ukrainian side, Russia's armed forces will give an adequate and effective response."
How has Ukraine reacted?
Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said on X that his country was "ready to support a lasting, durable and full ceasefire" of at least 30 days.
He added that if Russia really wanted peace, it should stop its attacks immediately.
It was the second unilateral truce announcement that Mr Putin has made this month, following a 30-hour Easter ceasefire that each side accused the other of violating countless times.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt noted that Mr Putin had offered a temporary ceasefire on Monday, but reiterated that the US president had made it clear he was seeking a permanent ceasefire.
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On Sunday, Donald Trump said he was "very disappointed" with Russia as he continues to push for a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine.
A day earlier, Mr Trump met Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Vatican for their first face-to-face meeting since their explosive White House summit.
The Ukrainian president said the meeting ahead of Pope Francis's funeral could end up being "historic". Hours later, Mr Trump questioned Mr Putin's appetite for peace in a Truth Social post.
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Speaking before boarding Air Force One on Sunday, Mr Trump again said the meeting went well, and that the Ukrainian leader was "calmer".
"I think he understands the picture, I think he wants to make a deal," he said, before turning to Mr Putin and Russia.
"I want him to stop shooting, sit down and sign a deal," the US president said, adding he was "very disappointed that they did the bombing of those places (including Kyiv, where nine people were killed in a Russian airstrike on Friday) after discussions".
However, Mr Trump said he thinks Mr Zelenskyy is ready to give up Crimea, which the Ukrainian leader has repeatedly said he would refuse to do.
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He added that "we'll see what happens in the next few days" and said "don't talk to me about Crimea, talk to Obama and Biden about Crimea".
Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, while Barack Obama was president.
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It comes after North Korea confirmed it had deployed troops to fight for Russia, months after Ukraine and Western officials said its forces were in Europe.
State media outlet KCNA reported North Korean soldiers made an "important contribution" to expelling Ukrainian forces from Russian territory, likely to be the Kursk region.
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KCNA said leader Kim Jong Un made the decision to deploy troops to Russia and notified Moscow, and quoted him as saying: "They who fought for justice are all heroes and representatives of the honour of the motherland."
It also quoted the country's ruling Workers' Party as saying the end of the battle to liberate Kursk showed the "highest strategic level of the firm militant friendship" between North Korea and Russia.
Last June, Mr Kim and Mr Putin signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty after a state visit - the Russian leader's first to the country in 24 years.
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The North Korean leader promised at the time "full support and solidarity to the Russian government, army and people in carrying out the special military operation in Ukraine".
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