Ukrainian rescuer worker at a residential building in Kostyantynivka, Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine, 8 May 2025. Photo: EPA-EFE/UKRAINE’S 93RD MECHANISED BRIGADE PRESS SERVICE
US President Donald Trump called for “ideally, a 30-day unconditional ceasefire” in Ukraine after a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday and threatened sanctions should it be violated.
“Hopefully, an acceptable ceasefire will be observed, and both Countries will be held accountable for respecting the sanctity of these direct negotiations”, Trump wrote on Truth Social. “If the ceasefire is not respected, the U.S. and its partners will impose further sanctions”.
Despite his administration’s recent threats to walk away from the peace process should a breakthrough not be reached soon, Trump stressed he remained “committed to securing Peace between Russia and Ukraine, together with the Europeans” and that a ceasefire should be the first step towards a full peace settlement.
Writing on X after the call, Zelensky hailed what he called a “good conversation” with Trump and said the two had discussed “concrete steps that could be taken” to end the war.
He reiterated that Ukraine was ready for both an immediate 30-day ceasefire and direct talks with Russia, but that Moscow must first “demonstrate the seriousness of its intentions to end the war” by agreeing to a full, unconditional truce.
While a unilateral ceasefire declared by Vladimir Putin came into effect at midnight on 8 May ahead of the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory in World War II, both sides had accused each other of violating it within a matter of hours.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said Russian forces had committed 734 violations in the first twelve hours of the truce alone, making it a “farce” that showed Putin “does not even keep his own word”.
Russia’s Defence Ministry, meanwhile, claimed that Ukraine had violated the ceasefire 488 times by midday on Thursday, while Russian troops were strictly observing it.
Zelensky had previously rejected Putin’s ceasefire proposal out of hand, insisting that there was no reason to limit it to just three days and that Russia should agree to a full 30-day ceasefire if it was serious about ending the war.
Even so, Ukrainian servicemen told public broadcaster Suspilne on Wednesday that they had received orders only to return fire on Russian positions from 8 to 10 May, the days of Putin’s truce, suggesting that Ukraine intended to observe the ceasefire.
