Moscow says Putin proposed a Victory Day ceasefire to Trump, but Trump says the idea was his
Vladimir Putin proposed a ceasefire for the Victory Day holiday period during a phone call with Donald Trump, Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov said.
Ushakov said Putin raised the proposal after Trump spoke positively about the Easter ceasefire Russia had recently declared. Ushakov did not specify the exact timeframe under discussion.
Trump spoke positively about the Easter ceasefire recently declared by Russia. In that context, Putin informed his American counterpart of Russia’s readiness to declare a ceasefire for the Victory Day holiday period as well. Trump actively supported the initiative.
Trump also told Putin that a peace deal was close, Ushakov said.
Trump later said it was he who had proposed that Putin declare a brief ceasefire, then turned to journalists and asked whether Putin had already announced it.
Victory Day events in major Russian cities this year will largely take place in a limited format due to Ukrainian drone attacks. In Moscow, the Victory Day parade will be held without a display of military hardware for the first time in nearly 20 years.
The last ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine came at Easter and lasted a day and a half. The two sides did not coordinate — Putin declared the truce unilaterally, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian forces would respond in kind. Both sides ultimately accused each other of numerous violations while insisting they had strictly observed the terms themselves.
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