Putin’s Ukraine truce begins amid doubt, skepticism
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s order for a three-day truce with Ukraine took effect Thursday, a move the Kremlin said would test Kyiv’s readiness for peace but that Ukraine has slammed as a farce.
It was not clear whether either side was observing the ceasefire, even with world leaders — including China’s Xi Jinping, Brazil’s Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Serbia’s Aleksandar Vucic — in Moscow for commemorations of the end of World War II.
It appeared relatively quiet overnight, though Ukraine’s military said early Thursday that Russian forces had launched air strikes in the eastern Sumy region. Kyiv did not report any damage or casualties.
Putin unilaterally ordered the temporary truce to coincide with Moscow’s Victory Day parade on Friday.
Ukraine never agreed to the proposal, has dismissed it as theatrics and called instead for a 30-day ceasefire.
US President Donald Trump has sought to end Moscow’s three-year military assault on Ukraine since his inauguration in January, but has failed to ease hostilities between the enemies.
Hours before Putin’s order was scheduled to enter force, Moscow and Kyiv staged aerial attacks, prompting airport closures in Russia and leaving at least two dead in Ukraine.
Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod airport in the west was closed for about one-and-a-half hours early Thursday “to ensure flight safety of civil aircraft”, according to a Federal Air Transport Agency spokesperson.
The Kremlin has said Russian forces will honour Putin’s order for the duration of the holiday period, but will respond “immediately” if attacked.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky renewed his call for a 30-day ceasefire in his evening address on Wednesday.
“We are not withdrawing this proposal, which could give diplomacy a chance. But the world is not seeing any response from Russia,” he said.
– Push for direct talks –
Putin announced the truce last month, calling it a “humanitarian” gesture, after pressure from the United States to halt Russia’s assault on Ukraine.
Putin rejected a joint US-Ukrainian proposal for an unconditional ceasefire in March.
Ukraine has said it does not believe Russia will adhere to the truce and accused Moscow of hundreds of violations during a previous, 30-hour ceasefire Putin ordered for Easter.
Russia, which launched a full-scale military offensive on Ukraine in 2022, fired over 100 drones and multiple ballistic missiles at its neighbour between late Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon, killing a mother and her son, Kyiv said.
The White House has become increasingly frustrated at the lack of progress towards a peace deal between the warring sides, despite Trump’s efforts.
