Trump announces 3-day Russia-Ukraine ceasefire, 1,000-prisoner swap during Victory Day

US President Donald Trump has announced a three-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, following renewed accusations from both sides that earlier truce agreements had been violated during Victory Day commemorations marking the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany in 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,” Trump said while announcing the agreement. Trump said the agreement would not only pause military operations but also include one of the largest prisoner exchanges since the war began.

Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov said Russia had agreed to Trump’s initiative to establish a ceasefire with Ukraine from May 9 to 11 and conduct a “thousand-for-thousand” prisoner exchange with Kiev during this period.

The temporary truce is expected to run from May 9 to May 11 and comes amid continued US-led diplomatic efforts to end the more than four-year war.

Shortly after Trump’s announcement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that Kyiv would participate in the ceasefire. Russian state media also reported that Moscow had agreed to the proposal.

Zelenskyy confirmed on X that the ceasefire had been arranged as part of US-led efforts to negotiate an end to the war, which has now stretched beyond four years.

Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov later said that “an agreement on this matter was reached during our telephone conversations with the US administration. In turn, US representatives were in contact with Kyiv.”

According to Ushakov, the agreement followed a recent phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump, during which the two leaders “emphasised that our countries were allies during World War II and also discussed the possibility of a ceasefire during the Victory Day celebrations.”

The announcement follows days of escalating tensions, with both Russia and Ukraine accusing each other of continuing attacks despite separate ceasefires linked to Russia’s Victory Day celebrations.

Russia had previously announced a unilateral ceasefire tied to its May 9 Victory Day commemorations, while Ukraine said it had already proposed a broader truce beginning on May 6, but claimed Moscow ignored the offer.

“This request was made directly by me,” Trump said Friday, thanking both Putin and Zelenskyy for agreeing to the pause in fighting.

For the first time in nearly two decades, Russia’s Victory Day parade in Moscow will take place without military hardware on display, as authorities remain on high alert over fears that Ukraine could attempt to disrupt the celebrations.

Officials have also warned residents in both Moscow and Saint Petersburg that mobile internet access may be restricted for security reasons during the events.

It is worth mentioning that Russia’s annual Red Square military parade, which is known for international gathering that attracted world leaders and foreign delegations, this year’s celebrations are expected to be far smaller in scale. Only the leaders of Belarus, Malaysia and Laos, along with a handful of other dignitaries, are expected to attend.

Meanwhile, Trump expressed his willingness to send a US delegation to Moscow to facilitate a settlement of the Ukraine conflict.

“I would do it If I thought it would help. I’d do it,” Trump told reporters when asked about readiness to send a US delegation to Moscow for talks on Ukraine.