Trump Announces Russia-Ukraine Three-Day Ceasefire and Major Prisoner Exchange

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

(Worthy News) – President Donald Trump announced Friday that Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a three-day ceasefire and a large-scale prisoner exchange, marking the latest diplomatic breakthrough in the more than four-year war that has devastated both nations and reshaped global geopolitics.

The temporary halt in fighting will begin Saturday, May 9, and continue through May 11, coinciding with Russia’s annual Victory Day celebrations commemorating the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. The agreement also includes the exchange of 1,000 prisoners from each side, one of the largest prisoner swaps since the war began in February 2022.

In a statement posted on Truth Social, Donald Trump said the ceasefire was requested directly by him and accepted by both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“This Ceasefire will include a suspension of all kinetic activity, and also a prison swap of 1,000 prisoners from each Country,” Trump wrote. “Hopefully, it is the beginning of the end of a very long, deadly, and hard fought War.”

The agreement comes after months of renewed diplomatic efforts by the White House to broker peace between Moscow and Kyiv. Since returning to office, Trump has repeatedly emphasized ending the conflict, holding multiple discussions with both Putin and Zelenskyy while dispatching senior envoys to negotiate humanitarian and military arrangements.

Zelensky confirmed the agreement shortly after Trump’s announcement, emphasizing that the release of prisoners remained one of Ukraine’s highest priorities.

“Red Square is less important to us than the lives of Ukrainian prisoners who can be brought home,” Zelensky said in a social media statement.

Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov met Friday with Trump peace envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential adviser Jared Kushner in the United States. According to Umerov, the discussions focused heavily on prisoner exchanges and intensifying diplomatic efforts to end the war.

The Kremlin also confirmed the arrangement. Russian foreign-policy aide Yuri Ushakov said Moscow coordinated separately with U.S. officials regarding the ceasefire and prisoner exchange framework.

The ceasefire arrives amid heightened tensions surrounding Russia’s Victory Day parade in Moscow. Ukrainian drone strikes deep inside Russian territory in recent months have reportedly raised serious security concerns within the Kremlin. Russian officials scaled back this year’s military parade, removing tanks and much of the heavy military hardware traditionally displayed in Red Square.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov blamed what he called “the terrorist threat” from Kyiv for the scaled-back event.

In a notable development, Zelensky reportedly issued a decree late Friday authorizing the Moscow parade to proceed without Ukrainian military interference during the designated ceasefire window, citing humanitarian considerations and ongoing negotiations with U.S. officials.

The latest truce follows several previous temporary ceasefires that quickly collapsed amid accusations of violations by both sides. Just one month ago, a brief 32-hour Easter ceasefire deteriorated after both Russia and Ukraine accused one another of continuing attacks.

Only days after Putin reportedly discussed ceasefire possibilities with Trump in a phone call, Russian forces launched one of the deadliest aerial assaults of the year, killing at least 27 civilians and injuring dozens more, according to Ukrainian officials. Zelensky condemned the strike as a “terrorist attack.”

The war, which began in February 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine, has become the largest European conflict since World War II. While neither side publicly releases full casualty figures, estimates from the Center for Strategic and International Studies suggest total casualties — including killed, wounded, and missing — could approach two million people combined.

Despite continued skepticism from many international observers, the ceasefire represents one of the most significant diplomatic openings in recent months and could provide momentum toward broader peace negotiations.

Trump signaled optimism that the temporary agreement could evolve into something larger.

“Talks are continuing on ending this Major Conflict, the biggest since World War II, and we are getting closer and closer every day,” Trump wrote.

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