Ahmedabad Times

How Russia-Ukraine restricted ceasefire got here into impact?

Putin first talked about the potential for a ceasefire throughout a cellphone name with US President Donald Trump.

The Russian defence ministry later formally introduced a truce for Might 8 and 9 on Telegram and requested Ukraine to do the identical.

The announcement included a direct warning: any Ukrainian try and disrupt the Victory Day celebrations would result in a large-scale missile strike on central Kyiv. The ministry additionally advised Kyiv residents and overseas diplomatic workers to depart the town.

Russia’s determination to hunt a pause got here alongside a notable change in its Victory Day plans. For the primary time in years, the standard parade is not going to embody army {hardware}, with officers citing the specter of Ukrainian drone assaults.

In latest weeks, Ukraine has stepped up strikes deep inside Russian territory, together with a drone that hit a constructing in Moscow on Monday, whereas 14 others have been intercepted the identical day.

Zelenskyy pointed to the significance of the omission, saying Russia may now not afford to show army tools and was frightened about drones over Purple Sq..

As of as we speak, there was no official attraction to Ukraine relating to the modality of a cessation of hostilities that’s being claimed on Russian social media. We imagine that human life is way extra beneficial than any anniversary “celebration”. On this regard, we’re saying a…

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Volodymyr Zelenskyi (@ZelenskyyUa) Might 4, 2026

Zelenskyy introduced Ukraine’s ceasefire from Armenia, the place he was attending a European Political Group summit.

He stated Ukraine would observe a interval of silence beginning at midnight on Might 5, presenting the transfer as an indication of Ukraine’s perception that human life issues greater than any commemorative occasion.

He criticised Russia for ignoring repeated Ukrainian requires an enduring finish to the combating and had earlier dismissed Russian ceasefire proposals as not critical. He didn’t give a selected length, saying solely that Ukraine would act symmetrically.

Either side enter the pause with cause for doubt. A ceasefire declared for Orthodox Easter final month fell aside, with either side blaming the opposite for violations.

Ukraine has stated it needs an enduring settlement relatively than a short-term pause, and it has continued army strain on Russian territory forward of the introduced truce.

The bulletins present the completely different pressures every authorities is dealing with at this stage of the battle.

For Russia, the ceasefire supplies a level of safety for its most symbolically important nationwide commemoration at a second when its army vulnerability to Ukrainian drone strikes has turn into publicly seen. For Ukraine, the choice to announce its personal pause – by itself phrases and forward of Russia’s formal declaration – permits it to contest the narrative across the truce whereas sustaining its place because the celebration searching for a everlasting decision.