Trump says Russia, Ukraine agreed on three-day ceasefire, prisoner swap

US President Donald Trump has said the leaders of Russia and Ukraine have agreed to his proposal for a three-day ceasefire and a large-scale prisoner exchange, describing the temporary halt in hostilities as a possible “beginning of the end” of the war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Yuri Ushakov, foreign affairs adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin, both confirmed the agreement.

“I asked and President Putin agreed. President Zelenskyy agreed — both readily,” Trump told reporters on Friday while departing the White House for a dinner at his Virginia golf club. “And we have a little period of time where they're not going to be killing people. That's very good.”

Earlier in the day, Trump announced on social media that the ceasefire would run from Saturday through Monday. Saturday marks Victory Day in Russia, commemorating the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.

“I am pleased to announce that there will be a THREE DAY CEASEFIRE (May 9th, 10th, and 11th) in the War between Russia and Ukraine,” Trump wrote. “The Celebration in Russia is for Victory Day but, likewise, in Ukraine, because they were also a big part and factor of World War II.”

The Republican president said the agreement included a suspension of all “kinetic activity” as well as an exchange of 1,000 prisoners from each side.

Russia had earlier declared its own ceasefire for Friday and Saturday, but that quickly appeared to collapse, with Moscow and Kyiv accusing each other of violating the truce — similar to the breakdown of Ukraine’s unilateral ceasefire earlier this week.

Trump said he had made the request for the pause in fighting “directly” to both presidents. “Hopefully, it is the beginning of the end of a very long, deadly, and hard fought War,” he said.

He added that negotiations to end the conflict, which began in February 2022, were continuing and claimed progress was being made “closer and closer every day”. Trump has alternated between optimism about a negotiated settlement and suggestions that Russia and Ukraine may ultimately have to continue fighting.

Zelenskyy said Kyiv’s approach to the discussions was influenced partly by the possibility of securing the return of prisoners of war, an issue Ukraine has repeatedly prioritised throughout the conflict.

“Red Square matters less to us than the lives of Ukrainian prisoners of war who can be brought home,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram, referring to the Moscow square where Russia traditionally stages its Victory Day military parade.

Following his statement, Zelenskyy issued a formal presidential decree “authorising” Russia to hold the parade and declaring Red Square off-limits for Ukrainian strikes during the event. The move appeared aimed at reinforcing Kyiv’s assertion that it has the capability to strike the Russian capital, while linking Ukrainian restraint to the ceasefire arrangement.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the decree as a “silly joke”. “We don't need anyone's permission to be proud of our Victory Day,” Peskov told reporters.

Zelenskyy said the ceasefire understanding had emerged through a US-mediated process and thanked Trump and the American delegation for what he described as effective diplomacy. He also said Kyiv expected Washington to ensure Moscow adhered to the terms of the agreement.

“We are counting on the United States to ensure that Russia fulfills its commitments,” Zelenskyy said. He added that Ukrainian officials had already been instructed to make preparations for the prisoner exchange without delay.

Trump’s announcement came only hours after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio struck a more cautious tone on efforts to end the more than four-year-old war. “While we're prepared to play whatever role we can to bring it to a peaceful diplomatic resolution, unfortunately right now, those efforts have stagnated,” Rubio told reporters at the conclusion of a visit to Rome and the Vatican. “But we always stand ready if those circumstances change.”

With AP/PTI inputs