Donald Trump announced that Russia and Ukraine agreed to a three-day ceasefire from 9-11 May, with an exchange of 1,000 prisoners from each side, and that Zelensky has confirmed the agreement.
On 9 May 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump announced via Truth Social that Russia and Ukraine have reached a temporary three-day ceasefire in the long-running war lasting over four years, with plans to exchange 1,000 prisoners each. The ceasefire will take effect from 9 to 11 May, aiming to open the way for peace negotiations.
Trump stated that he personally requested both sides to cease fire directly and thanked both President Putin and President Zelensky for accepting the proposal. He emphasized that the ceasefire includes suspending all military operations and exchanging 1,000 prisoners from each side, which Zelensky has also confirmed.
Shortly after, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed via platform X that a temporary ceasefire agreement is indeed in place, under U.S. efforts to promote peace talks.
Meanwhile, Yuri Ushakov, an aide to the Russian president, revealed that the agreement resulted from a phone discussion between President Vladimir Putin and Trump, along with coordination between U.S. officials and the Ukrainian government. Ushakov also noted that the leaders discussed Russia's Victory Day of World War II on 9 May and reaffirmed that Russia and the U.S. were allies during that war.
Previously, Russia had announced a two-day unilateral ceasefire for Victory Day, while Ukraine said it had proposed a ceasefire concept as well but received no response from Russia. Peace talks continue to face major obstacles, especially concerning the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine, where Russia currently controls about three-quarters of the area. Additionally, Russia demands Ukraine withdraw its troops from occupied territories, but the Ukrainian government insists it will not relinquish land under its control.
Source: Aljazeera