This content was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission.
US President Donald Trump called for a 30-day absolute cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine and threatened more restrictions imposed by the United States and its partners if the cease-fire is not respected.
” Conversations with Russia and Ukraine are going on. Trump stated on Truth Social on May 8 soon after calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy by phone.” Essentially, the United States calls for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire.
Trump said “both locations will be held responsible for respecting the holiness” of the speaks to end the issue. The US leader stated that he desired a “lasting peacefulness” after any cease-fire.
Trump said,” I will be available on a moment’s notice if my services are needed, and it can all be done very fast.
Trump made the statement after Ukraine’s best minister dismissed a Russian-declared cease-fire as a “farce”, accusing Moscow’s troops of committing lots of transgressions along the whole front range on the first day of the 72-hour peace.
In addition, Ukraine’s parliament approved a treaty granting the United States exclusive access to the country’s material prosperity, cementing a commitment Trump has made as a key component of his attempts to put an end to Russia’s conflict with its neighbor.
Zelenskyy applauded the legislature’s approval of the Economic Partnership Agreement, calling it” a really historical record that opens up many new options for assistance.”
He said he spoke with Trump by telephone and discussed” the need for ongoing efforts to achieve peacefulness, including practical steps that could be taken”. Trump” confirmed that he wants this war to end, is ready to help, and supports the need for a peace,” according to Zelenskyy  on X . We decided to continue our communications.
But the complaints that Russia was violating its promise to hold its blaze for three nights unless attacked underscore the issues facing the drive for peace. The gulf between Moscow’s jobs and Kyiv’s, according to US Vice President JD Vance, is “wide.”
No long-range aircraft or missile strikes were reported after the cease-fire was in effect in Kyiv and other significant Ukrainian cities after nightfall, despite reports of them being bombarded several times throughout the night.
But the condition at the front, which runs about 1, 200 meters from the Russian frontier in the west to the Black Sea in the north, was a different story, Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha wrote in a blog on X.
” According to our defense data, Russian troops are still attacking the front on a continuous basis.” Russia carried out 63 abuse operations and 734 cease-fire violations from midnight to afternoon, according to Sybiha, 23 of which are still ongoing.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced last month that Russia would keep its fire from May 8 to May 10 — a time coinciding with a May 9 martial parade on Red Square and other events marking the 80th commemoration of the battle of Nazi Germany in World War II— and urged Ukraine to do the same.
According to Sybiha, there were “586 attacks on our troops ‘ positions, 464 of which used heavy weapons, 176 strikes by drones, and 10 air strikes using 16 guided aerial bombs.”
Putin’s” Parade ceasefire” turns out to be a farce, he wrote.
The Ukrainian Air Force said earlier that Russian aircraft twice launched guided bombs targeting the Sumy region in northeastern Ukraine in the early hours of May 8, and a soldier in the eastern Donetsk region said Russian forces had used drones and bombs in morning attacks.
The air force reported that about three hours after midnight, the first bombs dropped in the Sumy region. Within two hours, according to a Telegram statement, the second round of bombs were launched. There was no word on damage.
A soldier from the Ukrainian 115th Brigade, which is stationed at the front near Lyman in the Donetsk region, claimed that there was no shelling after midnight and that Russian forces had used drones and bombs against Ukrainians, and that one member of his unit had suffered wounds.
The soldier remarked,” This is what they call a cease-fire.”
The Reuters news agency cited a Ukrainian military spokesman as saying that Russian troops had continued to conduct assaults in several areas on the eastern front, which runs through the Donetsk region.
Air Force
On May 8 the Ukrainian Air Force issued an air alert across the eastern region of the country, citing what it claimed was the threat of a Russian ballistic missile attack.
Russia also accused Ukraine of violating the cease-fire, which Kyiv had not committed to observe. According to Zellenskyy and other officials, it was a move to make it seem as though Moscow wants to end the war and that it was a step toward preventing Ukrainian attacks during the Victory Day ceremonies, which attracted a number of foreign leaders to Moscow.
Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Putin in the Kremlin on May 8 and was one of them.
Amid Western sanctions, China has helped keep Russia’s economy going and fund its war against Ukraine, now in its fourth year since Putin ordered the full-scale invasion in February 2022, including by buying Russian oil and gas, and has not publicly criticized the Kremlin for the bloodshed.
One of the justifications for the unprovoked invasion is that Putin has made false accusations that the Ukrainian government is neo-Nazi.
In a public address during the meeting with Xi, Putin stated,” Together with our Chinese friends, we firmly stand on guard of historical truth, protect the memory of events of the war years, and counter modern manifestations of neo-Nazism and militarism.
Xi told Putin that Beijing stood alongside Russia in the face of “unilateralism and hegemonic bullying”, a reference to the countries ‘ anti-US stance. He stated that” China will collaborate with Russia to shoulder the significant world powers ‘ special obligations.”
Putin called Xi his “dear friend,” and Xi called him his “old friend.”
After their meeting in Moscow on May 8, Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping signed a , statement , to deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership between their two countries.
Moscow and Beijing were also stated in the statement that they would continue to collaborate militarily and “actively improve the coordination of their approaches and intensify the practical cooperation.”
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic traveled to Moscow despite EU pressure that visiting the country might derail Serbia’s efforts to join the bloc. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has openly challenged the European Union’s support for Ukraine.
Joint Investment
The minerals call for the establishment of a joint investment fund to aid in the reconstruction of Ukraine once the fighting has ended. According to the agreement, Ukraine will receive 50 % of all revenues from new mineral projects as well as oil and gas projects.
The Russian-declared cease-fire followed days of deadly Russian bombardments of Kyiv and other cities and three straight nights of Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow, creating jitters ahead of the Victory Day parade on Red Square, which Putin traditionally addresses from a grandstand with guests in attendance.
Zelenskyy added that Ukraine continued to support its request to observe a 30-day cease-fire in the conflict, which started with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
In his , nightly video address , on May 7, he said,” We are not withdrawing this proposal, as it offers a real chance for diplomacy. We are not going to stop the strikes, for a cease-fire of at least 30 days.
Russia has not responded to the 30-day cease-fire offer except for new strikes, he said.
” This clearly and obviously demonstrates to everyone who is the source of the war,” he continued.
Zelenskyy also made an appearance to acknowledge the numerous drone attacks that have been targeting Russian websites this week. The attacks forced the closure of airports in Moscow and the grounding of flights.
Zelenskyy said,” And it is entirely fair that the Russian sky — the sky of the aggressor — is not calm either today.”
Trump is pressuring both nations to put an end to the war, which has been the biggest conflict in Europe since World War II, as quickly as possible.
Putin has said he is committed to achieving peace, but Vance said the Russians , “are asking too much”  , as the United States tries to bring the two sides to the table.
Vance also suggested that Ukraine should not be fixated on the idea of a 30-day cease-fire. Although he claimed that the gulf is “wide,” he is “reasonably optimistic” about the likelihood of the war to end.
” The step we need to take right now is we need Russia and Ukraine to start talking to one another”, said Vance. Without at least some direct negotiations, we believe it’s probably impossible for us to fully mediate the entire process.
