Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and US president Donald Trump congratulated each other on the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany via their aides, according to Russian state media.
Mr Putin claimed the Soviet Union “determined the outcome of the Second World War” as he inspected Russian troops at a Victory Day parade in Moscow.
He vowed Russia would “never agree to any distortion of its events, nor to attempts to justify executioners and defame the true victors” during a speech at Moscow’s Red Square on Friday morning.
It came just days after US president Donald Trump said “nobody came close” to America in “terms of strength, bravery, or military brilliance” during the conflict.
The Kremlin leader said Russian society was "supporting the participants of the special military operation" in Ukraine today as the motherland “felt the joy” on the 80th anniversary defeating Nazi Germany in 1945.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky slammed the parade as “bile and lies”. “It will be a parade of cynicism. There is just no other way to describe it,” he said on Thursday.
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Key Points
- Putin rebuffs Trump during victory day parade
- Russian drones used to attack Ukraine shown in parade
- It is my duty to defend the Russian army, says Putin
- Trump asks Putin to accept 30-day ceasefire with Ukraine
- Russia hits eight settlements 220 times during ceasefire, says Ukraine
Trump agrees with Europe over further Russia sanctions, says Zelensky
15:01 , Alexander ButlerUS president Donald Trump agrees with Europe that further Kremlin sanctions are needed if Russia violates a future ceasefire, Volodymyr Zelensky said.
The Ukrainian president said he was working with several European countries, including the UK, to secure a 30-day ceasefire.
“Ukraine is ready,” Mr Zelensky said. “I spoke with President Trump yesterday. Our European friends also spoke with him. We’re all on the same page: there must be a full ceasefire.
“If Russia continues to drag out the war, we will need stronger sanctions – especially if they violate the ceasefire once it is in place.”
Today, I took part in the work with our friends – the European countries participating in the Joint Expeditionary Force format – the UK, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Ukraine – united.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 9, 2025
We’re working together to… pic.twitter.com/4L7eU51OFs
Putin and Trump exchanged World War Two anniversary greetings via aides, say reports
14:45 , Alexander ButlerRussian leader Vladimir Putin and US president Donald Trump congratulated each other on the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany via their aides, Russia's state TASS news agency reported on Friday, citing Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov.
Russia marked the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory in World War Two on Friday with a military parade attended by dozens of world leaders, including China's Xi Jinping.
TASS reported that Lynne Tracy, the US ambassador to Russia, had not been a spectator at the Moscow parade.
Putin rebuffs Trump over Second World War
14:15 , Alexander ButlerVladimir Putin claimed the Soviet Union “determined the outcome of the Second World War” as he inspected Russian troops at a Victory Day parade in Moscow.
Mr Putin vowed Russia would “never agree to any distortion of its events, nor to attempts to justify executioners and defame the true victors” during a speech at Moscow’s Red Square on Friday morning.
It came just days after US president Donald Trump said “nobody came close” to America in “terms of strength, bravery, or military brilliance” during the conflict.
The Kremlin leader said Russian society was "supporting the participants of the special military operation" in Ukraine today as the motherland “felt the joy” on the 80th anniversary defeating Nazi Germany in 1945.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky slammed the parade as “bile and lies”. “It will be a parade of cynicism. There is just no other way to describe it,” he said on Thursday.
Russia will face new sanctions if it refuses serious peace talks, Germany's Merz says
14:00 , Alexander ButlerEurope supports President Donald Trump's plan for a 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, with both the EU and the US prepared to heighten sanctions pressure on Moscow if it does not take peace talks seriously, Germany's new chancellor said.
Speaking on his first visit to Brussels since being appointed, Friedrich Merz added that the EU and US would continue to support Ukraine, upping their provision if necessary, though he said Germany continued to oppose joint EU debt to finance defence spending.
"We call on Russia at last to set out on the path for real peace negotiations," he told reporters on Friday. "If that doesn't happen, we won't hesitate, together with our European partners and the US, to increase the sanctions pressure."
Putin’s victory day parade was an eerie forecast of war with the West
13:41Hostilities between Britain and Russia may not have been so significant since the time of the Crimean War, but we do have in common our fondness for reminding ourselves of the legacy of the Second World War.
State-sponsored commemorations of VE Day here or Victory Day there may grate on cynics’ nerves – but ordinary Brits, like the average Russian, have a genuinely fond folk memory of patriotic sacrifice and solidarity.
Of course, these sentiments are crudely misused by Kremlin propaganda. President Putin’s speech at the Victory Day parade in Red Squareemphasised the “continuity” between his so-called Special Military Operation invading Ukraine and the war against Hitler’s invasion after 1941.
The Kremlin’s line that today’s Ukraine is controlled by neo-Nazis is a grotesque misrepresentation. Any neo-Nazism there is perversely reinforced by Russia’s brutal invasion.
Putin’s victory day parade was an eerie forecast of war with the West
European nations back prosecution of Putin over Ukraine invasion
12:40 , Andriy Perun and Vladyslav SmilianetsEuropean leaders have backed the creation of a tribunal to prosecute Russian president Vladimir Putin and his officials over the invasion of Ukraine.
The show of unity from ministers from almost 20 European nations came on the same day Moscow celebrated its Victory Day commemorating World War 2.
At a meeting in Ukraine's western city of Lviv, the European ministers gave their political sign-off to the tribunal, welcoming the completion of the technical work required to set it up.
The tribunal will be set up within the framework of the Council of Europe, the continent's leading human rights watchdog that was formed after World War Two to uphold rights and the rule of law.
Russia denies its troops have committed atrocities in Ukraine since its forces launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Ukraine says Russian troops have committed many thousands of war crimes.
The tribunal could start operating next year.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said it was a moral duty for Europe to hold Russia accountable for the war.
"A strong tribunal for the crime of aggression can - and must - make any potential aggressor think twice," he said in a video address to the meeting.
North Korea's Kim visits Russian embassy as his generals meet Putin
12:15North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made a rare visit to Russia's embassy in Pyongyang with his daughter on Friday and reaffirmed "the invincible alliance" between the two countries, while Russia's leader greeted North Korean generals in Moscow.
Congratulating Russia on the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, Kim said North Korea would "consolidate and develop the long tradition of the DPRK-Russia relations, the noble ideological foundation and the invincible alliance", state-run KCNA reported.
Kim has taken his young daughter to a variety of events recently, part of what South Korean intelligence views as plans for her to succeed her father.
North Korea's unprecedented deployment of thousands of troops, as well as huge amounts of artillery ammunition and missiles, has helped Russia push back a Ukrainian incursion into its western Kursk region. It has also brought North Korea and Russia - both economically and politically isolated - closer.
Russia says Ukraine keeps trying to breach border
12:12 , Alexander ButlerUkrainian troops have made further attempts to breach the Russian border in the Kursk and Belgorod regions, the Russian Defence Ministry said on Friday as President Vladimir Putin hosted world leaders at a major military parade in Moscow.
The Defence Ministry said the attacks occurred during a three-day ceasefire running from May 8-10 that Russia has unilaterally declared to mark the 80th anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two.
Kyiv has called the ceasefire proposal a "farce" and did not agree to it, proposing instead that the two countries adopt a 30-day truce.
The Russian Defence Ministry said it had registered four attempts by Ukrainian forces to smash through the border into the Kursk and Belgorod regions in the past week.
Putin rebuffs Trump during Victory Day parade
11:58 , Alexander ButlerVladimir Putin claimed the Soviet Union “determined the outcome of the Second World War” as he inspected Russian troops at a Victory Day parade in Moscow.
Mr Putin vowed Russia would “never agree to any distortion of its events, nor to attempts to justify executioners and defame the true victors” during a speech at Moscow’s Red Square on Friday morning.
It came just days after US president Donald Trump said “nobody came close” to America in “terms of strength, bravery, or military brilliance” during the conflict.
“We won both Wars, nobody was close to us in terms of strength, bravery, or military brilliance,” the president said.
Pictured: Iranian-made Shahed drones paraded through Moscow
11:46 , Alexander Butler
Pictured: Russian service women and intercontinental missiles
11:15 , Alexander Butler
Parade shows the world Russia is not isolated, says Kremlin
11:04 , Alexander ButlerThe Kremlin says the attendance of Russian allies such as Xi, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and several dozen leaders from the former Soviet Union, Africa, Asia and Latin America shows Russia is not isolated even if Moscow's former WW2 Western allies want to stay away.
Chinese troops took part in the parade, and Putin shook hands with North Korean officers, praising them for their fighting skill.
North Korean troops have helped Russia fight an incursion into its western Kursk region by Ukrainian forces seeking a bargaining chip in any peace talks.
Pictured: Russian Su-25 fighter jets fly over Moscow
11:00 , Alexander Butler
Pictured: North Korean officers at Putin's Victory Day Parade
10:46 , Alexander Butler
Vance says US ready to 'walk away' if Russia negotiates in bad faith
10:45 , Alexander ButlerUS vice president JD Vance has said the US will be ready to "walk away" from the negotiating table if it does not see Russia making progress in negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.
"We knew that Russia would ask for too much because Russia's perspective on the ground is that they're winning," Mr Vance said, claiming that Ukraine wants a ceasefire because “things are not going so well for them”.
"Our attitude is we don't want Ukraine to collapse. We obviously want Ukraine to remain a sovereign country. But Russia can't expect to be given territory they haven't even conquered yet,” he said.
"I actually think that it’s progress that they’re even talking at all – the Russians and Ukrainians. I think it’s progress that they are putting concrete peace plans on the table. But we knew that the Russians' first offer would be too much. We knew that they would ask for more than what was reasonable to give, that's how negotiations often work," the US vice president said, adding that he is not bothered by these issues.
"What would bother me is if we conclude that the Russians are not engaging in negotiation in good faith. And if that happens, yeah, we're going to walk away," Mr Vance told Fox News yesterday.
“The president’s gonna say – we’re out of this,” Mr Vance said, adding that the US exiting peace talks won’t be good for anyone.
Poland and France commit to helping each other in case of military threat
10:20 , Alexander ButlerPoland and France will sign a treaty on Friday in which they will commit to helping each other in the event of a military threat, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said.
The treaty will be signed amid security concerns in Europe following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which borders Poland, and amid European doubts about U.S. President Donald Trump's long-term commitment to the continent's security.
The treaty, which the two countries will sign in the French city of Nancy, covers topics including defence, energy, nuclear, and transport matters.
"The provision that we have in the treaty is...that in the event of a threat of attacks on Poland and France, both countries commit to provide assistance, including military assistance," Tusk told reporters before leaving for France.
Russia will face new sanctions if it refuses serious peace talks, Germany's Merz says
09:54 , Alexander ButlerEurope supports President Donald Trump's plan for a 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, with both the EU and the US prepared to heighten sanctions pressure on Moscow if it does not take peace talks seriously, Germany's new chancellor said.
Speaking on his first visit to Brussels since being appointed, Friedrich Merz added that the EU and US would continue to support Ukraine, upping their provision if necessary, though he said Germany continued to oppose joint EU debt to finance defence spending.
"We call on Russia at last to set out on the path for real peace negotiations," he told reporters on Friday. "If that doesn't happen, we won't hesitate, together with our European partners and the US, to increase the sanctions pressure."
How the war in Ukraine reduced Putin’s ‘Victory Day’ military parade to a shadow of its former self
09:45 , Alexander Butler
How war in Ukraine reduced Putin’s ‘Victory Day’ parade to a shadow of itself
Russian drones used to attack Ukraine shown in parade, say reports
09:27 , Alexander ButlerRussian combat drones used to attack Ukrainian towns and cities will be shown at a Russian Victory Day parade in Moscow, according to state TV.
Russian state TV's Channel One said the Lancet drone and the Geran-2 drone would be among those shown off in the parade to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet Union and its allies over Nazi Germany.
The ZALA Lancet drone is a loitering munition used for both strike and reconnaissance missions which has been reported to have attacked and destroyed numerous pieces of Ukrainian military hardware, including tanks and a military jet.
The Geran-2 drone is a Russian-made suicide or kamikaze drone whose design originated in Iran where an earlier version was made. They have been used to target Ukrainian energy infrastructure and Kyiv has accused Moscow of using them to hit residential buildings too.
Taiwan denounces Russia and China for distorting Second World War
09:14 , Alexander ButlerTaiwan's government on Friday criticised Russia and China for distorting World War Two history, saying Chinese communist forces made "no substantial contribution" to fighting Japan and instead took the opportunity to expand their own forces.
Taiwan has since the start of this year sought to cast the war as a lesson to China in why aggression will end in failure, remind the world it was not the government in Beijing that won the war.
The Chinese government at the time was the Republic of China, part of the U.S., British and Russian-led alliance, and its forces did much of the fighting against Japan, putting on pause a bitter civil war with Mao Zedong's Communists whose military also fought the Japanese.
The republican government then fled to Taiwan in 1949 after finally being defeated by Mao, and Republic of China remains the democratic island's official name.
Responding to comments by Russian President Vladimir Putin to Chinese President Xi Jinping that the war was won under the leadership of China's communist party, Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council said it was the Republic of China government and people who fought and ultimately won.
"The Chinese communists only took the opportunity to expand and consolidate communist forces, and made no substantial contribution to the war of resistance, let alone 'leading' the war of resistance," it said.
Chinese-made military vehicles driven through Red Square
09:00 , Alexander ButlerChinese-made ATV vehicles were driven through Moscow’s Red Square during Russia’s Victory Day Parade, footage showed.
The Desertcross 1000-3 all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), equipped with guns, were driven through Moscow on Friday morning.
The vehicles are manufactured by the Chinese company Odes Industries and over 2,000 of them were delivered to Russia in 2023.
The Victory Day parade in Khabarovsk included Chinese Desertcross ATVs and locally-produced Erofey buggies. https://t.co/tVzNvZI2smhttps://t.co/YB8lWU8xhj pic.twitter.com/Xh3xCD0Nk8
— Rob Lee (@RALee85) May 9, 2025
Watch: Russia’s duty to defend the army’s dignity, says Putin
08:50 , Alexander ButlerIt is my duty to defend the Russian army, says Putin
08:49 , Alexander ButlerRussian president Vladimir Putin has spoken at a Moscow Victory Day parade that was slammed as “bile and lies” by Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky.
During the military parade at Moscow’s Red Square, Mr Putin paid tribute to the Allied forces and vowed to defend the Russian army.
The Kremlin leader said Russian society was "supporting the participants of the special military operation" in Ukraine today as the motherland “felt the joy” of defeating Nazi Germany and Japan in 1945.
“I thank the efforts of the Allied forces, resistance, and the people of China, everyone who fought for a peaceful future. Glory to the people who won the war,” Mr Putin said.
Glory to everyone who won the war, Vladimir Putin says
08:30 , Alexander ButlerRussian president Vladimir Putin has thanked the Allies forces for defeating Nazi Germany.
“Dear friends, in the Second World War, almost 80 per cent of the population were involved in the complete defeat of Nazi Germany and militarist Japan,” Mr Putin said.
“I thank the efforts of the Allied forces, resistance, and the people of China, everyone who fought for a peaceful future. Glory to the people who won the war.”
Pictured: Xi Jinping awaits start of Russian military parade
08:19 , Alexander Butler
Pictured: Russian service members march before a military parade on Victory Day in Moscow
08:16 , Alexander Butler
World leaders join Putin in Moscow for Victory Day celebrations
08:10 , Arpan RaiIn Photos: Russian armoured vehicles and troops fill Moscow ahead of Victory Day Parade
08:07 , Arpan Rai
Ukraine air force says Russia launched bombs on Sumy region
07:48 , Arpan RaiRussian aircraft have launched guided bombs on the Sumy region of northern Ukraine, the war-hit nation’s air force said this morning.
The attack comes just a day after a Russian military aircraft launched guided bombs on the Sumy region for the third time during a Kremlin-sponsored ceasefire.
There were no immediate reports of damage and casualties.
This is the second day in a row Russia has attacked Ukraine despite proposing and claiming it is holding a 72-hour ceasefire.
Watch live: Putin leads Russia’s Victory Day celebrations with military parade in Moscow
07:32 , Arpan Rai
Watch live: Putin leads Russia’s Victory Day celebrations with military parade
All you need to know about Putin's Victory Day parade in Moscow today
07:08 , Arpan RaiRussia is set to mark the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in the Second World War today with a grand military parade being attended by China's Xi Jinping.
President Vladimir Putin, the longest-serving Kremlin chief since Josef Stalin, will speak at a 7am GMT parade where thousands of Russian soldiers usually march by and drive military hardware such as intercontinental ballistic missiles and tanks past Lenin's Mausoleum on Red Square.
The Kremlin says the attendance of Russian allies such as Xi, Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and several dozen leaders from the former Soviet Union, Africa, Asia and Latin America shows Russia is not isolated from the wider world even if Moscow's former World War Western allies want to stay away. From Europe, the leaders of Serbia and Slovakia will attend.
"The victory over fascism, achieved at the cost of enormous sacrifices, has an everlasting significance," Mr Putin told his Chinese counterpart Mr Xi in the Kremlin. "The countless sacrifices made by both our peoples should never be forgotten."
Russian officials have ensured security is very tight in Moscow this weekend as fear of Ukrainian drone attacks loom.
Mr Putin proposed a 72-hour ceasefire would run on 8-10 May, though Ukraine said Russia had broken the ceasefire within hours of it coming into effect.
The Kremlin said military units from 13 countries, including China, will take part in the parade along with Russian troops, though it was unclear how North Korea – which has helped Russia fight in Ukraine – would be represented.
Russia hits eight settlements 220 times during ceasefire, says Ukraine
06:41 , Arpan RaiRussia hit eight Ukrainian settlements near the frontline 220 times during its so-called ceasefire, governor of the Zaporizhzhia region Ivan Fedorov said in the early hours of today.
The villages in Zaporizhzhia were hit by 150 drones and 70 artillery rounds in the past 24 hours, he said.
Russian forces have attacked Ukrainian positions using multiple rocket and drones and mounted raids on several Ukrainian frontline positions, Ukraine’s armed forces said on Telegram this morning.
The ceasefire announced by Russian president Vladimir Putin came into force in the early hours of Thursday.
Vance says US ready to 'walk away' if Russia negotiates in bad faith
06:25 , Arpan RaiUS vice president JD Vance has said the US will be ready to "walk away" from the negotiating table if it does not see Russia making progress in negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.
"We knew that Russia would ask for too much because Russia's perspective on the ground is that they're winning," Mr Vance said, claiming that Ukraine wants a ceasefire because “things are not going so well for them”.
"Our attitude is we don't want Ukraine to collapse. We obviously want Ukraine to remain a sovereign country. But Russia can't expect to be given territory they haven't even conquered yet,” he said.
"I actually think that it’s progress that they’re even talking at all – the Russians and Ukrainians. I think it’s progress that they are putting concrete peace plans on the table. But we knew that the Russians' first offer would be too much. We knew that they would ask for more than what was reasonable to give, that's how negotiations often work," the US vice president said, adding that he is not bothered by these issues.
"What would bother me is if we conclude that the Russians are not engaging in negotiation in good faith. And if that happens, yeah, we're going to walk away," Mr Vance told Fox News yesterday.
“The president’s gonna say – we’re out of this,” Mr Vance said, adding that the US exiting peace talks won’t be good for anyone.
UK sanctions up to 100 Russian tankers from Shadow fleet
06:09 , Arpan RaiBritain will sanction up to 100 oil tankers from Russia's so-called shadow fleet, seeking to step up pressure on Moscow in the war with Ukraine as leaders from the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) security alliance meet in Norway today.
Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer’s office said the sanctions would represent Britain’s largest package of measures against the shadow fleet.
The vessels carried cargo worth over $24bn since the beginning of last year, with some ships also involved in damaging critical infrastructure, Britain said.
The PM’s office did not provide further detail but similar sanctions previously have restricted or prohibited the movement of shadow fleet vessels and their access to some British ports.
Sir Keir will announce the measures at a summit of JEF leaders in Oslo. Founded in 2014, the British-led group of 10 northern European nations including Denmark, the Netherlands, Finland and Sweden acts as a supplement to wider cooperation through the Nato military alliance.
"Every step we take to increase pressure on Russia and achieve a just and sustainable peace in Ukraine is another step towards security and prosperity in the UK," Sir Keir said.
"We will do everything in our power to destroy (president Vladimir Putin's) shadow fleet operation, starve his war machine of oil revenues and protect the subsea infrastructure that we rely on for our everyday lives,” he said.
The vessels are suspected of damaging undersea infrastructure in Europe, including power lines, cables and pipelines in the Baltic Sea.
Nordic and Baltic nations, alarmed by rising sabotage risks, have pressed for action.
JEF nations have been steadfast supporters of Ukraine, with many spooked by Russia's invasion of its smaller neighbour. Sweden and Finland have also joined Nato, upending decades of non-alignment.
Ukraine to host foreign ministers to endorse 'special tribunal' for Russian leadership
05:57 , Arpan RaiUkraine will host a group of foreign ministers in Lviv today to endorse the establishment of a special tribunal to prosecute the leadership of Russia, Belarus and North Korea for the crime of aggression against Ukraine, a senior Kyiv official said.
The tribunal will be set up by the Council of Europe, the continent's leading human rights watchdog that was formed after the Second World War to uphold rights and the rule of law. The full list of incoming ministers was not public.
Poland and France have both said they will visit Lviv today.
The meeting will fall on the same day that Russian president Vladimir Putin hosts Chinese president Xi Jinping and other leaders for a military parade on Red Square to mark the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany.
"The special tribunal may start operating next year. This year we are completing the legal formalities, and the Council of Europe will begin to form – recruit judges, a secretariat, prosecutors, implement rules and procedures," Iryna Mudra, a presidential aide, said in televised comments.
How war in Ukraine reduced Putin’s parade to a shadow of itself
05:44 , Arpan RaiEver since Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine, the annual military parade to honour the defeat of Nazi Germany has been a shadow of former years.
The displays of state-of-the-art tanks and intercontinental ballistic missiles in Moscow’s Red Square have gone, while world leaders, even Moscow’s allies, have been wary of standing alongside Putin to watch the procession of military prowess.
The invasion has devastated Ukraine and cost Russia’s military thousands of tanks and hundreds of thousands of soldiers.
Before the all-out war in Ukraine, Victory Day, celebrated a day later than VE Day, became a parade not just to honour the sacrifices of a previous generation but also to burnish Putin’s image of post-Soviet Russia being restored to its former greatness.
How war in Ukraine reduced Putin’s ‘Victory Day’ parade to a shadow of itself
Moscow accuses Ukrainian troops of trying to break into Kursk
05:34 , Arpan RaiRussia's defence ministry said Ukrainian troops twice tried to break through the border in the Kursk region, news agency Interfax reported yesterday.
The defence ministry said Russia continued to abide by the ceasefire, announced by Russia in its war in Ukraine for 8-10 May, while Ukraine has "violated" it 488 times.
Kyiv at no point commmitted to the 72-hour ceasefire, and says Russia has violated its own ceasefire more than 700 times. One women was killed in Sumy, Kyiv said.
Zelensky hails 'warm' call with Trump and calls for 30-day ceasefire
05:16 , Arpan RaiVolodymyr Zelensky said he had a "warm and constructive" phone call with US president Donald Trump last night and that Ukraine is “ready for peace from this moment”.
“I’ve just spoken with President Trump. It was a good conversation – very warm and constructive,” he said.
He added: “I also informed him that Ukraine is ready for a 30-day ceasefire, starting even today. We are waiting for Russia to support this proposal. I also reaffirmed that Ukraine is ready to engage in talks in any format. But for that, Russia must demonstrate the seriousness of its intentions to end the war, starting with a full unconditional ceasefire.”
Mr Zelensky said he also updated the US president on the battlefield situation.
Russian forces breached Putin's ceasefire 734 times, says Kyiv
04:47 , Arpan RaiUkraine has said Russian forces have violated president Vladimir Putin’s 72-hour ceasefire more than 700 times within the first day.
“According to our military data, despite Putin's statements, Russian forces continue to attack across the entire frontline. From midnight to midday, Russia committed 734 ceasefire violations and 63 assault operations, 23 of which are still ongoing; 586 attacks on our troops' positions, 464 of which used heavy weapons; 176 strikes by FPV-drones; and 10 air strikes using 16 guided aerial bombs,” Ukraine foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said yesterday.
Branding the ceasefire a “farce”, the Ukrainian official said: “Ukraine remains ready for at least 30-day full ceasefire and confidence-building measures, which will enable peace negotiations and the real path to a fair and sustainable peace.”
I just spoke with Ukraine's military command, who provided information about the frontline situation. Predictably, Putin's "Parade ceasefire" proves to be a farce.
— Andrii Sybiha 🇺🇦 (@andrii_sybiha) May 8, 2025
According to our military data, despite Putin's statements, Russian forces continue to attack across the entire…
Trump asks Putin to accept 30-day ceasefire with Ukraine
04:38 , Arpan RaiUS president Donald Trump has suggested Russian leader Vladimir Putin should “ideally” accept a 30-day ceasefire, backing similar calls from Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky after the two spoke on the phone on Thursday.
"Talks with Russia/Ukraine continue. The US calls for, ideally, a 30-day unconditional ceasefire," Mr Trump said on his Truth Social network after speaking to Mr Zelensky.
Mr Trump has also threatened further sanctions on Moscow if any potential ceasefire is violated.
"If the ceasefire is not respected, the US and its partners will impose further sanctions."
Mr Zelensky said in his nightly address that the two leaders had shared a "warm and constructive" phone call, and that Ukraine is “ready for peace from this moment”.
He said a 30-day ceasefire would be a "real indicator" of progress towards peace with Russia.
