Trump Announces Three-Day Ceasefire in Russia-Ukraine War with Prisoner Swap
A three-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine begins May 9, accompanied by a swap of 1,000 prisoners from each side, as US-led peace talks show signs of progress.
A Ceasefire for Victory Day
On May 8, US President Donald Trump announced a three-day ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war, set to run from Saturday, May 9 through Monday, May 11. The truce, timed to coincide with Russia’s World War II Victory Day commemorations, also includes a swap of 1,000 prisoners of war from each country.
Trump made the announcement on Truth Social, thanking both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for agreeing to the deal. “This request was made directly by me,” Trump wrote, framing the ceasefire as a gesture honoring the shared WWII alliance between the nations.
Zelenskyy confirmed the arrangement on X, noting the prisoner swap would proceed during the truce period. Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said the agreement was reached through telephone contacts with the US administration, following a recent call between Putin and Trump in which both leaders “emphasised that our countries were allies during World War II.”
The Road to This Moment
This ceasefire did not emerge from a vacuum. Russia had previously declared a unilateral two-day ceasefire for Victory Day. Ukraine, for its part, had offered its own truce — one that Moscow initially ignored. The breakthrough came through direct US mediation, with Trump personally pressing both sides.
The war, now in its fourth year, has ground into a brutal war of attrition. Ending it was a central promise of Trump’s 2024 campaign — he famously claimed he could resolve the conflict within 24 hours. Nearly eighteen months into his term, a definitive resolution remains elusive, but this ceasefire represents one of the most concrete steps forward.
What’s Still Standing in the Way
The key sticking point remains the eastern Donetsk region, roughly three-quarters of which is controlled by Russian forces. Moscow has demanded that Ukraine withdraw from areas that Russian troops have failed to capture outright — a condition Kyiv firmly rejects.
Zelenskyy has consistently refused to cede Ukrainian territory as part of any peace agreement. However, both Trump and Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko have previously suggested that Ukraine may face difficult choices if it wants to end the war.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s top negotiator Rustem Umerov has arrived in Miami for meetings with US representatives, signaling that back-channel diplomacy continues even as front-line positions remain entrenched.
Why It Matters
The three-day pause may seem modest against the backdrop of a grinding four-year conflict, but it carries real weight. Any reduction in violence — however temporary — saves lives. The prisoner swap reunites 2,000 families. And the optics of both sides honoring a US-brokered truce, however briefly, create a sliver of precedent for longer agreements.
Trump struck an optimistic note: “Hopefully, it is the beginning of the end of a very long, deadly, and hard fought War.” Whether that hope translates into a lasting peace remains the defining question of 2026.
The world will be watching closely this weekend — not just for the silence on the front lines, but for whatever conversations happen in its margins.