Ukraine Says 3-Day Ceasefire Curbed City Strikes as Zelenskyy Pushes Extension
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · May 11
Ukraine Says 3-Day Ceasefire Curbed City Strikes as Zelenskyy Pushes Extension
9 articles · Updated · POLITICO · May 11
Three days into Putin’s Victory Day ceasefire, Zelenskyy said attacks on Ukrainian cities had stopped, though fighting continued along the front line, and he pressed to extend the pause.
The truce was arranged by Putin to cover Russia’s annual Victory Day events and was widely expected to end Monday, making any extension the immediate diplomatic question.
Putin also said the war was “coming to an end,” but a senior EU diplomat said Moscow still holds “illegal demands” on Ukrainian territory and “outrageous war aims.”
Kremlin messaging quickly undercut the remark: Putin’s spokesperson later said a peace agreement remains a long and complicated road, reinforcing allied skepticism about a real shift.
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The May 2026 Ceasefire: Why a Three-Day Truce Failed to Bring Peace to Ukraine
Overview
In May 2026, a three-day ceasefire brokered by the United States and agreed to by Presidents Trump, Putin, and Zelenskiy was hoped to signal the beginning of the end of the war. However, the ceasefire quickly unraveled, revealing itself as only a temporary pause rather than a real step toward peace. Both sides accused each other of violations, and fighting continued despite the agreement. This episode highlights the fragility of truces in the conflict, showing that without strong enforcement and trust, even high-level diplomatic efforts struggle to achieve lasting results.