Putin announces 3-day unilateral ceasefire starting May 8 for Victory Day

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday announced a three-day unilateral ceasefire starting May 8 to mark the Victory Day.

Putin has asked Ukraine to reciprocate the three-day ceasefire.

In recent weeks, this is the second such ceasefire that Putin has announced. Earlier this month, he had announced a brief ceasefire for the Easter weekend. However, Ukraine said that Russia continued attacks across the frontlines and did not implement the ceasefire.

Russia commemorates the Soviet Union and allies’ victory over Axis powers in the World War II with the Victory Day.

ALSO READ: Russia used ‘Easter truce’ to improve frontline positions, says Ukraine

Putin’s announcement has come at a time when US President Donald Trump is becoming frustrated over his failure to bring an end to the war between Ukraine and Russia. He had promised that he would end the war within 24 hours of assuming office, but the war is nowhere near its end on the eve of the 100-day mark.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that Trump would decide this week whether he would continue to mediate between Ukraine and Russia or abandon the mediation to pursue other foreign policy priorities. While Trump has bashed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy since the beginning for not accepting Russia’s terms and ending the war, he has mildly questioned Putin’s intention too lately.

In a social media post on Sunday, Trump said that “there was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities, and towns over the last few days”.

Trump further said, “It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through ‘banking’ or ‘secondary sanctions?’ Too many people are dying!”

Analysts have said that Putin’s unilateral ceasefire efforts are little more than attempts to keep Trump in good humour. Last time, widespread Russian attacks were reported despite Putin’s declaration of ceasefire for Easter.

So far, Trump has put all sorts of pressure on Ukraine, ranging from personal attacks on Zelenskyy to pressuring the country to accept proposals that would essentially mean a surrender to Russia, but he has done nothing to pressurise Putin.

Despite such a treatment, Putin has refused all three US-endorsed ceasefire proposals so whereas Ukraine has accepted all of them.

ALSO READ: With recognition of Russian occupation, Trump’s ‘peace plan’ seeks Ukraine’s surrender

Last month, the Trump administration endorsed a 30-day ceasefire proposal that Ukraine accepted. Putin made that ceasefire conditional on a host of maximalist demands that essentially killed. Secondly, Russia never implemented the US-endorsed ceasefire related to energy infrastructure that Ukraine agreed to. Thirdly, after White House announced reaching a ceasefire related to the Black Sea with Ukraine and Russia, Russia junked it within hours and said the ceasefire would only come into effect if specific sanctions would be waived and Russia’s access to international payments system SWIFT would be restored.