Kyiv fears Putin's 'ceasefire' is simply a truce for Trump

Ukrainians are dismissive of claims that Moscow is serious

- BEL TREW

Less than two days after US president Donald Trump lashed out at Vladimir Putin for stringing him along over a peace deal, the Russian president has announced another temporary ceasefire – this one scheduled to last three days.

His grand declaration raised immediate suspicion over whether this was yet another stalling tactic from the most conniving of dictators.

The Kremlin said the truce would take place from 8 to 10 May, to coincide with Russia’s Victory Day celebrating the defeat of Nazi Germany – likely not a coincidence, given Putin’s repeated, completely baseless claims that a “neo-Nazi regime” in Ukraine justified his full-scale invasion.

Ukraine has yet to officially respond, but will no doubt greet the news with a large dose of scepticism. Kyiv, which has previously agreed to Trump’s proposal of a 30-day full ceasefire, accused Moscow of violating a similar temporary truce during Easter.

President Volodymyr Zelensky charged Russia with cynically using that pause to advance, saying Russian assaults persisted on multiple fronts, artillery fire did not subside, and attacks on energy infrastructure were relentless.