Zelenskyy offers open-ended ceasefire as Ukraine Russia War shifts

Volodymyr Zelenskyy offered a Ukraine Russia War ceasefire starting at 00.00 on the night of May 5 to May 6, saying Ukraine would act symmetrically if Russia did the same. He set no end time for the offer and said We announce a regime of silence starting from 00.00 on the night of May 5 to May 6.

Russia’s defence ministry had demanded that hostilities stop for Friday and Saturday so Moscow could mark Victory Day on 9 May. Zelenskyy called the Russian request not serious and said it is realistic to ensure a ceasefire takes effect before midnight on Wednesday.

Zelenskyy and Moscow's ceasefire terms

Zelenskyy’s proposal matters because it is open-ended rather than tied to a fixed holiday window. The Ukrainian president linked the move directly to Russian action, leaving Moscow to decide whether its own declared truce terms would be matched by a reciprocal pause from Ukraine.

The Russian side has used unilateral ceasefire declarations before, most recently around Orthodox Easter, with little to no impact. This time, the Kremlin’s annual Victory Day commemorations arrive with a parade in Moscow scheduled without tanks, missiles and other military equipment for the first time in nearly two decades.

Armenia summit and Red Square

Zelenskyy said on Monday at a summit with European leaders in Armenia that Russian authorities fear drones may buzz over Red Square on 9 May. He added, This is telling. It shows they are not strong now, so we must keep up the pressure through sanctions on them.

The remarks tied the ceasefire offer to a wider pressure campaign on Russia, while also pointing to the security concerns around Moscow’s 9 May ceremonies. In the same period, TsMAKP cut its forecast for Russia’s GDP growth this year to between 0.5% and 0.7% from 0.9% and 1.3% one month ago, after Russia’s economy contracted by 0.3% in the first quarter.

Merefa attack and next steps

One day after the Armenia summit, a Russian missile attack killed seven people and wounded more than 30 in Merefa in Ukraine’s north-eastern Kharkiv region. The strike gives the ceasefire offer immediate weight for civilians living under repeated attacks, even as Russian and Ukrainian positions remain tied to the schedule around Victory Day.

The next move now rests with Moscow: whether Vladimir Putin’s government reciprocates the ceasefire starting at 00.00 on the night of May 5 to May 6, or whether Russia follows through on its own Friday and Saturday hostilities demand as 9 May approaches.