Russian President Putin declares 72-hour ceasefire in Ukraine to mark WW2 anniversary

MOSCOW(Russia): Russian President Vladimir Putin unilaterally declared a three-day ceasefire in Ukraine from May 8-11 for the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War and called on Kyiv to do the same, the Kremlin said on Monday.

The Kremlin said the decision was based on “humanitarian considerations” and a truce would be held from midnight on May 7-8 to midnight on May 10-11.

“By order of Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, the Russian side, guided by humanitarian motives, announces a ceasefire for the celebrations of the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War to last from May 8, 00:00 Moscow time to May 11, 00:00 Moscow time. Any military operations will be ceased during this period,” according to the Kremlin.News.

The Russian side reiterated its willingness to enter peace talks without preconditions, with a view to eliminating the root causes behind the Ukraine crisis and establishing constructive interaction with international partners.

Moscow previously rejected a US-brokered proposal for a 30-day ceasefire that was agreed to by Ukraine.

Russia will mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Great Patriotic War, which is its term for the war with Germany in 1942 – 1945, known as World War II to its then-allies, on May 9.

In a statement, the Kremlin said, “Russia believes that the Ukrainian side should follow this example. In the event of any violations of the ceasefire by the Ukrainian side, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation will give a proportionate and efficient response.”

Earlier on April 27, Russia launched drones and air attacks across Ukraine, killing at least four people, officials told Al Jazeera, a day after the US President Donald Trump cast doubt over Russian President Vladimir Putin’s willingness to end the war.

Trump said on Saturday that he doubts Putin wants to end the more than three-year war in Ukraine, expressing scepticism that a peace deal can be reached soon. Only a day earlier, Trump had said Ukraine and Russia were “very close to a deal”, as per Al Jazeera.

During the presidential campaign, Trump often boasted he could end the war in 24 hours, but the reality was different.

“There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days”, Trump wrote in a social media post as he flew back to the US after attending Pope Francis’s funeral at the Vatican, where he met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy briefly on Saturday. Trump also hinted at further sanctions against Russia, as per Al Jazeera. (ANI)