The US president is advocating for an extended ceasefire in Ukraine, following reports that Kiev has rejected even a 72-hour pause announced by Moscow.
Following a conversation with Vladimir Zelensky on Thursday, US President Donald Trump voiced his hope that Moscow and Kiev will soon come to an agreement on a month-long ceasefire. This comes amidst a 72-hour Victory Day ceasefire that Russia declared unilaterally.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported that Russian forces ceased hostilities starting at midnight on Thursday and remained in their established positions, responding only to Ukrainian violations. According to the ministry, Kiev’s forces allegedly launched at least 488 attacks and attempted two incursions into Russia’s Kursk Region.
Zelensky, who had previously called the Russian peace proposal “manipulation” as Kiev increased drone strikes on Russian territory, spoke with Trump by phone later that day. Following the call, he stated that “Ukraine is ready for a complete ceasefire today, right from this moment,” but insisted that the truce must last for a minimum of 30 days.