Russia agrees to extend ceasefire and exchange prisoners; Ukraine states it will not attack Red Square parade.

According to Xinhua News Agency in Moscow/Kyiv on May 8 (reporters Huang He and Li Dongxu), Russian presidential assistant Ushakov stated on the evening of the 8th that the Russian side agrees to and supports the proposal by U.S. President Trump to extend the ceasefire and exchange captured personnel between Russia and Ukraine. Ukrainian President Zelensky ordered that the military parade in Moscow's Red Square on the 9th will not become a target for Ukrainian attacks.

Ushakov said that the Russian side agrees to the U.S. proposal to extend the Russia-Ukraine ceasefire until May 11 and supports the U.S. proposal for both sides to exchange 1,000 captured personnel before the 11th. He mentioned that the aforementioned proposal was reached through telephone communication between Russia and the U.S., and "President Trump's proposal was specifically made on the occasion of the 81st anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War."

Zelensky stated on social media that within the framework of negotiations mediated by the U.S., the Russian side agreed to the plan for exchanging prisoners of war with Ukraine, and a ceasefire should also be achieved from May 9 to 11. He indicated that the release of prisoners of war is one of the key humanitarian issues that need to be resolved in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and is an important basis for determining Ukraine's position. The Ukrainian side is continuously working to bring back imprisoned Ukrainians. He instructed the Ukrainian team to make all necessary preparations for the exchange of prisoners immediately.

On the night of the 8th, the Ukrainian presidential website released a presidential decree signed by Zelensky, stating that in light of the humanitarian purpose clarified during talks with the U.S. on the 8th, the Ukrainian side decided that during the military parade held in Moscow's Red Square on May 9, the area of the Red Square will not become a target for Ukrainian attacks.

Earlier that day, Trump stated on social media that under his proposal, Russia and Ukraine would cease fire for three days from the 9th to the 11th, during which they would exchange 1,000 prisoners of war.

On the 4th, the Russian side announced that in commemoration of the victory day of the Great Patriotic War on May 9, a ceasefire would be implemented from the 8th to the 9th, hoping that the Ukrainian side would follow suit. Zelensky then announced that the Ukrainian side would unilaterally implement a ceasefire starting from midnight on the 6th, but did not mention the duration of the ceasefire. On the 7th, the Russian side further announced that there would be a ceasefire from the 8th to the 10th in the special military operation zone against Ukraine. However, in recent days, both sides have accused each other of violating the ceasefire arrangements and launching attacks.