RUSSIA - Russia has declared a 72-hour unilateral ceasefire in Ukraine to coincide with its most sacrosanct national holiday marking the World War II defeat of Nazi Germany, Victory Day,...
calling on Kyiv to agree to the pause. Ukraine was quick in its response, which came soon after the Russian proposal on Monday.
“If Russia truly wants peace, it must cease fire immediately,” Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said, according to his ministry. He reiterated that Ukraine is ready for a “lasting, reliable, and complete ceasefire” for at least 30 full days.
“Why wait for May 8? If we can cease fire now from any date and for 30 days – so that it is real, and not just for a parade,” he said, without confirming whether Kyiv would accept the truce proposal.
Earlier, President Vladimir Putin said Russian forces would halt fighting from midnight on May 7-8 to midnight on May 10-11. The announcement came amid rising pressure from the United States to agree to a full ceasefire in the conflict.
Russia will mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Great Patriotic War, the term it uses for its war with the Third Reich from 1942 to 1945, commonly known as World War II, on May 9. (Al Jazeera)
