Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday announced a two-day ceasefire in the war with Ukraine to observe the anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.
The ceasefire would run Friday and Saturday, according to a statement from the Russian Defense Ministry.
While temporary ceasefires are not unheard of in the conflict, which started when Russia launched a large-scale invasion of the country in 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy did not immediately confirm they would abide by one.
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Speaking in Yerevan, Armenia, he said that while United States and Russian officials had spoken about a ceasefire, the idea had not been officially proposed to Ukrainian officials.
"This is Russia’s war against Ukraine. If America and Russia are negotiating, it is important that our side knows what they are talking about," Zelenskyy said.
A statement attributed to the Russian Defense Ministry threatened Ukraine and foreign diplomats if the ceasefire wasn’t respected by Kyiv.
Ukrainian authorities have accused Russia of violating previous ceasefires. The general staff of the Ukrainian armed forces said that Russia broke an Easter ceasefire with shelling last month, and the Russian Defense Ministry accused Ukrainian forces of doing the same.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry also said last year that Russia attacked Ukrainian energy facilities during a ceasefire.
In the event that Ukrainian forces violated the truce, the Russian Defense Ministry statement warned “the civilian population of Kyiv and employees of foreign diplomatic missions of the need to leave the city in a timely manner.”
Zelenskyy noted in a post on X that Ukraine would observe a reciprocal ceasefire starting at midnight on Tuesday.
"It is time for Russian leaders to take real steps to end their war, especially since Russia’s Defense Ministry believes it cannot hold a parade in Moscow without Ukraine’s goodwill," Zelenskyy said in the post.
Up to 27 million people are estimated to have died during World War II, and Victory Day is a major celebration in Russia.
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