To commemorate the 80th anniversary of Victory Day, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a three-day ceasefire in the ongoing conflict with Ukraine, set to begin next month.

According to the Kremlin, the 72-hour cessation of hostilities is scheduled to commence on May 8 and extend through May 10.

“All military operations will be halted during this period,” the Kremlin stated. “Russia expects Ukraine to reciprocate this gesture.”

The statement further added that “In the event of any violations by Ukraine, Russia will respond appropriately and effectively.”

As of now, there has been no immediate response from Kyiv regarding this unilateral ceasefire declaration.

While agreeing in principle to a ceasefire agreement between Russia and Ukraine, has so far declined to accept a complete and unconditional cessation of hostilities.

Victory Day is a significant secular holiday in Russia, traditionally marked by a parade in Moscow’s Red Square to celebrate the Soviet Union’s triumph over Nazi Germany in World War II.

Throughout the war with Ukraine, has frequently invoked the victory over Nazi Germany, drawing parallels between Nazi Germany and Ukraine, which he has previously vowed to “de-nazify.”

U.S. , speaking on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, adopted a cautious tone regarding a major peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia, indicating that a deal is “still not there.”

Rubio stated, “We’ve made real progress, but the final steps of this process were always going to be the most challenging. It needs to happen quickly. We cannot continue to dedicate time and resources to this issue indefinitely if it is not going to materialize.”

He added, “The past week has been focused on assessing the true proximity of the two sides and whether they are close enough to warrant continued investment of our time as a mediator.”

Digital’s Anders Hagstrom and Manahil Ahmad contributed to this report.

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