Trump Announces Three-Day Russia-Ukraine Truce With Prisoner Swap

A Three-Day Pause

US President Donald Trump announced on May 8, 2026, that the leaders of Russia and Ukraine had agreed to a three-day ceasefire covering May 9, 10 and 11, NPR and Al Jazeera reported. The pause took effect on May 9, the same day Russia held its Victory Day parade in Moscow.

"I am pleased to announce the introduction of a THREE-DAY TRUCE (May 9, 10 and 11) in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine," Trump wrote on Truth Social, in remarks reported by Al Jazeera. The US president described the agreement as potentially "the beginning of the end of a very long, deadly, and hard fought War," NPR reported.

Confirmation From Kyiv and Moscow

The ceasefire was confirmed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and by Yuri Ushakov, foreign affairs adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to NPR. The dual confirmation marked a rare moment of public alignment between the two sides on a concrete diplomatic step.

Terms of the Agreement

According to NPR and Al Jazeera, the agreement includes a suspension of all kinetic activity along the front line for the three-day period, paired with a major prisoner exchange. Each side agreed to hand over 1,000 prisoners under the deal, making it one of the larger swaps recorded since the start of the war.

Truce Under Strain

The ceasefire began on May 9, coinciding with Russia's Victory Day commemorations on Red Square. Both sides traded accusations of violations during the truce, Al Jazeera reported, leaving open questions about whether the pause will translate into a more sustained de-escalation or fade once the three-day window closes on May 11.