London and Kiev are for sure gnashing their respective teeth over this one. At 2 p.m. (Washington time) on May 8, exactly 13 hours before the Victory Day Parade was set to kick off in Red Square in Moscow, U.S. President Donald Trump posted the following on his Truth Social account:
“I am pleased to announce that there will be a THREE DAY CEASEFIRE (May 9th, 10th, and 11th) in the War between Russia and Ukraine. The Celebration in Russia is for Victory Day but, likewise, in Ukraine, because they were also a big part and factor of World War II. This Ceasefire will include a suspension of all kinetic activity, and also a prison swap of 1,000 prisoners from each Country. This request was made directly by me, and I very much appreciate its agreement by President Vladimir Putin and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Hopefully, it is the beginning of the end of a very long, deadly, and hard fought War. Talks are continuing on ending this Major Conflict, the biggest since World War II, and we are getting closer and closer every day. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
Ukrainian acting president Volodymyr Zelenskyy had issued the wildly provocative threat that he was prepared to strike the May 9 parade with drones. Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking through both official communiqués of the Ministry of Defense and Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, warned in response that if Ukraine did that, Russia would strike downtown Kiev with a powerful volley of missiles and drones.
Yuri Ushakov, Assistant to the President of Russia, confirmed President Trump’s announced ceasefire, stating: “On behalf of Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, I confirm that the Russian side finds acceptable the initiative just proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump regarding a ceasefire for the exchange of prisoners of war between Russia and Ukraine. An agreement on this matter was reached during our telephone conversations with the U.S. President’s administration. U.S. representatives, in turn, were in contact with Kyiv.… We welcome this initiative, which follows up on the recent telephone conversation between the Presidents of Russia and the United States, in which the leaders emphasized that our countries were allies during World War II and discussed the possibility of a ceasefire during the Victory Day celebrations. It is significant that President Trump’s initiative is timed to coincide with the 81st anniversary of the Victory over Nazism, our sacred holiday.”
The one-time comedian Zelenskyy, currently masquerading as President of Ukraine, also announced that he had gotten the memo. According to media outlet Ukrainska Pravda, an official decree published on the website of the Office of the President of Ukraine states: “Taking into account numerous requests, for humanitarian purposes outlined during negotiations with the American side on 8 May 2026, I hereby decree: the holding of a parade in the city of Moscow (Russian Federation) on 9 May 2026 shall be permitted. For the duration of the parade (from 10:00 Kiev time on 9 May 2026), the territorial square of Red Square shall be excluded from the operational plan for the use of Ukrainian weapons.”
