Competing Ceasefire Proposals: Russia Announces Victory Day Truce May 8–9; Ukraine Proposes Open-Ended Ceasefire

Russia's Ministry of Defense announced a unilateral ceasefire covering May 8–9 to coincide with Victory Day commemorations and the Moscow military parade. The Russian proposal came with a warning: if Ukraine disrupted the Victory Day parade, Russia would launch a 'massive missile strike' on central Kyiv. Putin had originally floated the idea during a phone call with President Trump. Ukraine rejected the framing: Zelensky offered his own open-ended ceasefire beginning at midnight May 5–6, without specifying an end date — calling for a 'long-term, comprehensive ceasefire, reliable and guaranteed security' rather than a temporary parade pause. Ukraine would monitor Russian actions overnight and determine its response accordingly. The Al Jazeera report noted both sides declared ceasefires, but neither recognized the other's terms, setting up an immediate test of Russian intentions.