United States President Donald Trump announced that a three-day ceasefire had been agreed upon in the war between Russia and Ukraine.
In a post on Truth Social on Friday, Trump said the truce would remain in effect from Saturday through Monday.
Soon after the announcement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed on X that the temporary ceasefire had been arranged as part of ongoing US-led efforts to negotiate an end to the war, which has lasted for more than four years, Al Jazeera reported.
Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov later stated that the agreement had been reached through telephone discussions with the US administration, while American officials had also remained in contact with Kyiv.
According to Ushakov, the understanding followed a recent phone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump, during which both leaders noted that their countries had been allies during World War II and discussed the possibility of a ceasefire during Victory Day commemorations.
Russia had earlier declared a unilateral two-day ceasefire to coincide with its May 9 Victory Day celebrations. Ukraine had previously maintained that it too had proposed a truce, but claimed Moscow had ignored the offer.
Trump said he had personally made the request for the ceasefire and thanked both the Russian and Ukrainian leaders for agreeing to it.
He also noted that while Victory Day was primarily celebrated in Russia, Ukraine too had played a significant role during World War II. Trump added that the ceasefire would involve a suspension of military activity and include an exchange of 1,000 prisoners from each side. Zelenskyy also confirmed that the prisoner swap would take place.
Trump further stated that discussions aimed at ending the conflict were continuing and expressed hope that the temporary truce could mark the beginning of the end of what he described as a long and deadly war.