Trump Calls Russia-Ukraine Ceasefire 'Beginning of the End' After Putin and Zelenskyy Accept His Three-Day Truce

President Donald Trump announced on 8 May 2026 that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to a three-day ceasefire running from 9 to 11 May, coinciding with Russia's Victory Day commemorations. Trump made the announcement via his Truth Social platform, calling it potentially the 'beginning of the end' of a conflict he described as 'the biggest since World War II.'

Trump said the ceasefire would include 'a suspension of all kinetic activity, and also a prison swap of 1,000 prisoners from each Country,' adding that the request had been 'made directly by me.' The news was confirmed by both the Kremlin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shortly after Trump's announcement on the eve of the Victory Day parade.

A Deal Built Around Victory Day

Russia had previously announced a two-day unilateral ceasefire to mark its 9 May World War II Victory Day, while Zelenskyy and the Kremlin both confirmed the three-day truce had been arranged as part of US efforts to negotiate an end to the more than four-year-old war.

Russia's Defence Ministry had declared a unilateral ceasefire for Friday and Saturday to mark the 81st anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, but threatened to strike back at Kyiv if it tried to disrupt the Victory Day festivities. Ukraine had also put forward its own separate truce proposal earlier in the week, before Trump's coordinated announcement brought both sides to the same timeline.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine agreed to the ceasefire because of the prisoner swap, writing in an X post: 'Red Square is less important to us than the lives of Ukrainian prisoners who can be brought home.' He added: 'I thank the President of the United States and his team for their productive diplomatic involvement. We expect the United States to ensure that the Russian side fulfils these agreements.'

A War Now in Its Fifth Year

The ceasefire comes as the conflict grinds into its fifth year with no lasting resolution in sight. Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, in the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II. According to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, by 31 January 2026, the OHCHR had recorded 56,550 civilian casualties since 24 February 2022 — 15,172 killed and 41,378 injured — while noting the real numbers are believed to be higher.

As of May 2026, Russian troops occupy roughly 20 per cent of Ukraine. From a population of 41 million, around 8 million Ukrainians have been internally displaced according to the IOM's displacement tracking, and 6 to 7 million have fled the country, creating Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II.

Casualty estimates compiled in early 2026 suggest Russia has suffered approximately one million military casualties — killed and wounded — while Ukraine has recorded between 250,000 and 300,000. The scale of the losses has deepened international pressure on both sides to find a negotiated off-ramp, even as the front lines have remained largely frozen in recent months.

A Pattern of Broken Truces

The ceasefire announcement arrives at a moment when diplomatic efforts to end the war have repeatedly hit dead ends. Multiple rounds of US-led peace talks have yielded little progress, and Washington's focus has been further divided by its military involvement in the Middle East conflict with Iran, leaving Ukraine negotiations with diminished momentum on the international stage.

During the Orthodox Easter ceasefire in April 2026, Ukraine's General Staff reported that by 7am the truce had been violated by Russia 2,299 times, including assaults, shelling and small drone launches. Russia, in turn, said it had recorded 1,971 ceasefire violations by Ukrainian forces, including drone strikes.

Peace Talks Continue

Prior to Trump's declaration, Russia and Ukraine had accused each other of violating ceasefires they had declared separately. The announcement came after top US officials met with a Ukrainian delegation in Miami, and after Trump and Putin had spoken the previous week.

The two sides remain far apart on the fundamental terms of any lasting peace deal. Kyiv has pushed for a halt to fighting along existing battle lines, while Moscow has held firm on its demand that Ukrainian troops pull back from contested territory in the east — a condition Ukraine has consistently refused to accept.

Trump struck an optimistic tone, saying talks were 'continuing on ending this Major Conflict' and that both sides were 'getting closer and closer every day.'

The three-day ceasefire runs from 9 to 11 May 2026. A prisoner exchange of 1,000 from each side has been agreed as part of the truce. The two sides remain apart on the fundamental terms of any lasting settlement, with Kyiv seeking a halt along existing battle lines and Moscow demanding Ukrainian withdrawal from contested eastern territory.

Originally published on IBTimes UK