What Happened

Russian President Vladimir Putin listens Republic of Mordovia Artyom Zdunov at the Kremlin in Moscow, Monday, May 4, 2026. Mikhail Metzel/Pool Sputnik Kremlin hide caption

Russia's Defense Ministry declared a unilateral ceasefire in Ukraine for Friday and Saturday 81st anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany , but it threatened to strike disrupt the Victory Day festivities.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in response said his country would observe a truce beginning at 12 a.m. on Wednesday and respond Russia's actions from that moment on. .

The announcements on Monday come as Russia prepares to celebrate its most important secular holiday with a traditional military parade on Moscow's Red Square officials say are concerns over possible Ukrainian attacks. Ukraine has been launching drone attacks deep inside Russia to counter 4-year-old invasion.

Why It Matters

They also follow a familiar pattern of previous attempts to secure ceasefires — most recently around Orthodox Easter — that had little to no impact.

The Defense Ministry said if Ukraine attempts to disrupt Saturday's celebrations, Russia a "massive missile strike on the center of Kyiv." It warned the civilian population there and employees of foreign diplomatic missions of " promptly."

Zelenskyy responded by saying received any official requests for a truce, midnight on Wednesday "it is realistic to ensure" that a ceasefire takes effect. Kremlin ", especially since Russia's Defense Ministry believes it cannot hold a parade in Moscow without Ukraine's goodwill."

For years, the Kremlin -filled Victory Day parade to showcase its military might and global clout, a source of patriotic pride.

What Comes Next

, the parade in the Russian capital without tanks, missiles and other military equipment nearly two decades. smaller parades elsewhere across the country canceled for security reasons.

Speaking at a summit with European leaders in Armenia on Monday, Zelenskyy Russian authorities "fear drones Square" on May 9. "This is telling. strong now, pressure through sanctions on them," he said.

remains a consensus in Russia's divisive history under Communist rule. The Soviet Union lost 27 million people called the Great Patriotic War in 1941-45, an enormous sacrifice that left a national psyche.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russia for over 25 years, has turned Victory Day into a key pillar of his tenure justify Ukraine.

Last year's parade on the 80th anniversary global leaders to Moscow in a decade, including high-profile guests like Chinese President Xi Jinping, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico.

Putin had declared a unilateral 72-hour ceasefire starting May 7, 2025, and authorities blocked cellphone internet in Moscow for several Ukrainian drone attacks.

Last week, Putin floated a ceasefire for Victory , too, in a phone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump.

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