The three -day truce ordered unilaterally by the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, entered into force this Thursday (08.05.2025), a measure denounced as a farce by Ukraine, but which, according to the Kremlin, will test kyiv’s will to negotiate.
The Putin order coincides with the celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the victory over Nazism at the end of world war II, which brings together in Moscow about thirty foreign leaders such as Chinese Xi Jinping or Brazilian Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
It is not immediately clear if both sides were respecting the unilateral truce. Ukraine never accepted the proposal, when cataloging it from Farsa, and claimed in its place a high fire of 30 days.
In the hours before their entry into force, the two countries exchanged air attacks, which left two dead in Ukraine and caused the closure of airports in Moscow and other Russian cities for the approach of enemy drones.
On Wednesday night, the mayor of the capital, Serguéi Sobianin, reported the neutralization of nine drones “near Moscow”.
The Kremlin said that the Russian forces will respect the order of Putin during these commemorations, but will respond “immediately” if Ukraine opens fire.
On the other hand, the Ukrainian president, Volodimir Zelenski, launched again in his evening speech on Wednesday his proposal of a high fire of 30 days.
“We do not withdraw this proposal, which could give a chance to diplomacy. But the world does not see any response from Russia,” he said.
Putin announced the truce last month as a “humanitarian” gesture after weeks of pressure from the US president, Donald Trump, to stop the more than three years of war in Ukraine.
The Kremlin leader had rejected in March a joint proposal of the United States and Ukraine for a high unconditional fire. Since then he only offered small contributions to Trump’s peace efforts.
Ukraine does not trust Russia to respect the unilateral truce and accuse Moscow of multiple violations during a cessation of 30 -hour hostilities decreed by Putin during Easter.
military parade in the Red Square
May 9 celebrations have a central place in the patriotic cult of the 1945 victory promoted by the Kremlin, which states that the offensive in Ukraine, initiated in February 2022 and has left thousands of dead on each side, is an extension of the war against Hitler.
The culminating point of commemorations is the military parade, planned on Friday, in the Red Square, which will be attended by thirty foreign leaders.
“Our army and special services are taking all the necessary measures to ensure that the celebration of the great victory takes place in a calm, stable and peaceful atmosphere,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov.
For example, he explained that the authorities had limited Internet access in Moscow before the parade to prevent “danger” from Ukraine, which has launched numerous drones against Russia in recent days.
“We need to take into account that dangerous neighbor we have,” said Peskov. “While our guests are here, until May 10, we have to be prepared for restrictions,” he told the Moscow.
The Russian army launched five ballistic missiles and 187 drones against Ukraine, the Ukrainian air forces reported Wednesday. At least two of these missiles and 81 drones were intercepted.
In kyiv, a mother and her son died and seven other people were injured, including four children. According to Zelenski, the regions of Zaporiyia, Donetsk, Zhitomir, Jersón and Dnipró were also subject to attacks.
The Ukrainian president claimed after those attacks “even greater pressure and more severe sanctions” against Moscow, considering that it is the only way to “open the diplomacy route.”
The United States vice president, JD Vance, asked for “direct negotiations” between kyiv and Moscow, the only way to put an end to the conflict, after almost three months conversations have been held separately, driven by Washington, without giving any fruit.
MG (AFP, DPA)
