The situation regarding a cessation of hostilities has seen contrasting announcements from both sides. Following the Kremlin’s declaration, on Friday and Saturday, that fighting would cease, Ukraine itself announced a ceasefire starting as early as Wednesday.
On Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that, despite rumors circulating on social media, Kyiv had not received any official signal from Russia regarding a halt to combat operations. He emphasized that, “As of today, there has been no official appeal to Ukraine concerning the modalities of a ceasefire, as claimed in Russian social media”.
Zelensky stressed that Ukraine places a much higher value on human life than on any “annual celebration”. In line with this, he announced, “We are declaring a ceasefire starting at midnight on May 5th to May 6th”. According to Zelensky, this period allows enough time to confirm the effectiveness of the agreement, stating, “We will act reciprocally from this point. It is time for the Russian leadership to take concrete steps toward ending the war, especially since the Russian Ministry of Defense believes it cannot hold a military parade in Moscow without the goodwill of Ukraine”.
Previously, Russia had unilaterally announced a ceasefire for May 8th and 9th. Russian state media reported on Monday, citing military leadership, that the date was chosen to commemorate Victory Day. It also stated that Vladimir Putin had personally made this decision as Supreme Commander.