Will Russia pause fighting on May 9? Expert explains
Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin attends the Victory Day parade in Moscow (Getty Images)
A three-day ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia on May 9 might exist on paper, but it is difficult to say whether the Russian forces will actually cease fire. Ukraine's position may be the same as it was during the so-called Easter ceasefire, says Oleksandr Musiienko, a serviceman of the Territorial Defense Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and a military expert, in a commentary to the RBC-Ukraine YouTube channel.
"The question remains open, I don’t have a definitive answer. But we should distinguish between a ceasefire on paper and an actual ceasefire. If we’re talking about a ceasefire on paper, I lean toward believing it will happen. I mean a three-day one."
He noted that Ukraine’s position may echo its approach on April 20, when President Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces would respond only where attacks occurred and would hold fire where there was silence.
He recalled that, in certain areas, the intensity of fighting had indeed decreased and even quieted completely. But at the same time, Russia continued offensive operations, used FPV drones and artillery, and launched ground assaults.
"From a formal point of view, there was a truce. Could this happen again on May 8? I don’t rule out that Ukraine’s response will be the same," the expert noted.
However, Musiienko stressed that Ukraine insists on a ceasefire lasting at least 30 days.
"That’s fundamentally important. What are three days? One day? A few hours? That’s not enough to verify whether Russia is serious about stopping the war. We need time to see if it can actually work,” he concluded.
Putin wants a ceasefore on May 9
Russian President Vladimir Putin recently said that he wants a truce with Ukraine from May 8 to 10, the 80th anniversary of Victory Day.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called this proposal a manipulation. According to him, Putin only wants to secure his Victory Day parade, which will take place on May 9.
In addition, US Special Envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg emphasized that Putin's idea was absurd.
