Trump and Putin Discuss Temporary Ukraine Ceasefire for May 9 Victory Day

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin discussed a possible time-limited ceasefire in the Ukraine war in a phone call that multiple outlets said took place on Wednesday, April 29.

“Washington — President Trump said he and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke Wednesday about the possibility of a "little bit of a ceasefire" in Ukraine during a conversation about the wars there and in”

CBS News

DIE WELT reported that the Kremlin signaled willingness to talk while continuing to insist on its war aims, and said Kremlin foreign policy adviser Juri Uschakow described the conversation as “open and substantive” and “had taken place on Russia's initiative.”

CBS News

Reuters’ account in DIE WELT’s reporting tied the proposed pause to Russia’s World War II remembrance celebrations, with Russia traditionally celebrating victory over Nazi Germany in the Second World War on May 9.

CBS News said Trump told reporters he suggested “a little bit of a ceasefire” and that he thought Putin “might do that” and “might announce something having to do with it.”

The Guardian said the call lasted more than 90 minutes and that Putin floated a temporary ceasefire in Ukraine, while welcoming Trump’s decision to extend a ceasefire in the region.

Politico similarly reported that Putin told Trump about plans to call a temporary ceasefire to mark the celebration, and that Trump said, “I suggested a little bit of a ceasefire, and I think he might do that.”

Across the accounts, the proposed timing repeatedly anchored to Victory Day on May 9, with the Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov describing readiness to declare a temporary truce for the Victory Day celebrations.

The phone call’s ceasefire proposal arrived after earlier, time-limited truces around Orthodox Easter, with outlets describing how both sides accused each other of violations.

DIE WELT said there was “a three-day ceasefire during the World War II remembrance celebrations” last year and that “There have been several attempts at time-limited truces in the more than four-year-long Russian invasion,” adding that both sides accused each other of violations “most recently a little over two weeks ago for Orthodox Easter.”

DIE WELT

Semafor reported that the proposed truce would come “several weeks after Kyiv and Moscow negotiated a ceasefire around Orthodox Easter, though each side accused the other of violations.”

The Guardian said Ukraine remained sceptical of short-term ceasefire proposals from Moscow, including one “briefly implemented over Easter,” accusing Russia of using such pauses to regroup and prepare further attacks.

The Hill described that Putin had earlier agreed to “a 32-hour ceasefire in April during the Orthodox Easter holiday,” but said “Moscow and Kyiv each accused the other of violations.”

Kyiv Independent added that Ukraine says Russia has repeatedly violated earlier “truces,” recording “over 400 violations during the alleged ceasefire declared on Orthodox Easter.”

In parallel, the Kremlin’s approach to Victory Day was framed as precautionary, with Semafor saying the Kremlin would “scale down its Victory Day parade in Moscow” because of threats of Ukrainian attacks.

Trump’s public remarks after the call emphasized both the ceasefire idea and his uncertainty about which war would end first, while Kremlin aides described Putin’s readiness to declare a truce.

“Skip to Main Content Trump, Putin talk about each other’s wars in Wednesday phone call Trump held out the possibility that his war in Iran could wind down “on a similar timetable” as Russia’s now four-year-long incursion in Ukraine”

Politico

DIE WELT quoted Trump telling the White House that he had urged Putin to consider a ceasefire in a “long”, “good” conversation—“and I believe he could do that.”

CBS News reported Trump said he and Putin spoke about a “little bit of a ceasefire” in Ukraine and that he doesn’t know whether the Russia-Ukraine war or the U.S.’s war with Iran will end first, adding that he mused about a “similar timetable.”

The Guardian quoted Trump saying, “We had a very good conversation, I’ve known him a long time.”

Politico said Trump projected confidence that a resolution to the Russia-Ukraine war would come “relatively quickly” after the phone call, and it quoted Trump telling reporters, “I think he’d like to see a solution.”

On the Russian side, DIE WELT said Kremlin foreign policy adviser Juri Uschakow told reporters the conversation was open and substantive and “had taken place on Russia's initiative,” and said Putin is ready for a ceasefire during the World War II remembrance celebrations.

Kyiv Independent added that Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov and Trump separately confirmed the call on April 29, and that Ushakov said Putin voiced readiness to declare a temporary truce for Victory Day celebrations.

The outlets diverged in how they framed the call’s significance, the balance between Ukraine and Iran, and the operational context around Victory Day.

The Guardian emphasized that the call lasted “more than 90 minutes” and described Putin’s comments about the Iran war, including that Moscow viewed a US ground operation in Iran as dangerous, while also saying Putin welcomed Trump’s decision to extend a ceasefire in the region.

The Detroit News

Politico foregrounded Trump’s confidence about a relatively quick resolution and said the call included discussion of both Kyiv and Tehran, with Trump telling reporters, “I can tell you. And that’s good.”

Semafor focused on the ceasefire’s timing and said the truce would “coincide with Russia’s Victory Day holiday on May 9,” while also stating the Kremlin would scale down its Victory Day parade in Moscow because of threats of Ukrainian attacks.

The Guardian also reported that earlier on Wednesday the Kremlin said it would scale back this year’s Victory Day parade and that “no military hardware” would be on display for the first time in nearly two decades, while Semafor said the parade would be scaled down because of threats of Ukrainian attacks.

DIE WELT highlighted Trump’s shifting stance and included a quote from Trump that “I think Ukraine is militarily defeated,” while also saying Putin accused Kyiv of terrorism and attacks on civilian targets.

Kyiv Independent, meanwhile, said no call between Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky is scheduled “at the moment,” while also quoting Trump’s remark that “I asked him about (a truce), even if it's a little ceasefire, there's so many people being killed. It's so ridiculous.”

The call’s ceasefire proposal sits alongside continued battlefield pressure and ongoing diplomacy that outlets describe as stalled, with multiple accounts pointing to Ukraine’s rejection of unconditional concessions and Russia’s insistence on its demands.

“Donald Trump says he discussed a Ukraine ceasefire with Vladimir Putin News Sports Autos Business Michigan Life + Home Entertainment Opinion Obituaries Trump says he discussed a Ukraine ceasefire with Putin Trump said on Wednesday, April 29, he discussed a possible Ukraine ceasefire in a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin”

The Detroit News

The Guardian said Putin has signalled he is prepared to continue fighting until Ukraine cedes territory Russia currently controls in the Donbas, among other demands, while Volodymyr Zelenskyy has consistently rejected any such concessions, leaving the region a central faultline in stalled peace efforts.

The Guardian

The Guardian also described Ukraine’s long-range drones as continuing to strike Russian territory “almost daily,” with attacks targeting industrial and military sites including oil infrastructure and logistics hubs, at times triggering large fires and prompting civilian evacuations.

Semafor similarly said Ukraine says its drones are increasingly capable of accurately striking deep within Russia and that “In the latest attack, an oil facility was reportedly struck Wednesday.”

The Hill added that Trump has pushed Russia and Ukraine to reach a deal for months, but “little apparent progress has been made,” and it described Russia’s demands for ending the war contingent on Ukraine handing over territory and recognizing Russia’s occupation of such territory.

Kyiv Independent said Putin has repeatedly proposed temporary and limited truces during Moscow’s all-out war, while Ukraine says Russia has repeatedly violated earlier “truces,” recording “over 400 violations” during the alleged Easter ceasefire.

In the background of these stakes, the call also touched Iran, with The Hill quoting Trump saying, “We talked more about the war in Ukraine, but he’d like to be of help [with Iran] — I said before you help, we want to end your war.”