On May 5, U.S. President Donald Trump praised Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to declare a ceasefire in Ukraine on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of Victory Day in the Great Patriotic War.
According to The Kyiv Independent, the U.S. leader regarded his Russian counterpart’s proposal for a three-day ceasefire as an important step toward a peaceful resolution.
In response to questions from reporters at the White House on May 5 regarding the situation in Ukraine, President Trump stated:
“As you know, President Putin just announced a three-day ceasefire. It might not sound significant, but it’s actually a big deal considering where we started. We had a president (Joe Biden) who hadn’t spoken to Putin in three years, and none of this should’ve happened in the first place.”
Previously, President Putin had announced a ceasefire to mark the 80th Victory Day anniversary, from May 8 to the end of May 10. According to the Kremlin, “all military operations will cease during this time.”
For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected the proposal, calling it a “performance” rather than a serious move toward peace. He also demanded that Russia agree to a longer ceasefire under his own conditions and warned that he “would not guarantee security” for the Victory Day celebration in Moscow.
At the May 5 press briefing at the White House, President Trump continued to express optimism about the prospects for a future peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine.
Trump noted that Russia is under pressure due to declining global oil prices, and stated, “We are in a strong position to resolve this. They (Russia) want to resolve it, Ukraine wants to resolve it. If I weren’t president, nobody would be resolving anything,” he added.
Previously, according to Reuters, on May 4, President Trump had revealed that “very positive” discussions regarding the Russia-Ukraine situation had taken place in recent days, offering new hope for peace in the region.
Speaking to the press upon returning to the White House after a weekend in Florida, Trump said the talks with his advisers about Russia and Ukraine had been productive, though he did not go into specific details. He also candidly commented on the current tensions between the two sides.
Regarding a possible meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Saudi Arabia during his upcoming trip, Trump said he had not yet considered it. According to the schedule released by the White House, the U.S. President will visit Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar from May 13 to 16. While a meeting with Putin may not take place during this trip, the possibility of a future summit between the two leaders remains open.