Russia\u2019s Defense Ministry declared a unilateral ceasefire in Ukraine for Friday and Saturday to mark the 81st anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, but it threatened to strike back at Kyiv if it tries to disrupt the Victory Day festivities.<\/p>\n
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in response said his country would observe a truce beginning at 12 a.m. on Wednesday and respond in kind to Russia\u2019s actions from that moment on. He did not put an end date on the truce.<\/p>\n
The announcements on Monday come as Russia prepares to celebrate its most important secular holiday with a traditional military parade on Moscow\u2019s Red Square pared down<\/a> due to what officials say are concerns over possible Ukrainian attacks. Ukraine has been launching drone attacks deep inside Russia to counter its more than 4-year-old invasion.<\/p>\n They also follow a familiar pattern of previous attempts to secure ceasefires \u2014 most recently around Orthodox Easter \u2014 that had little to no impact.<\/p>\n The Defense Ministry said if Ukraine attempts to disrupt Saturday\u2019s celebrations, Russia will carry out a \u201cmassive missile strike on the center of Kyiv.\u201d It warned the civilian population there and employees of foreign diplomatic missions of \u201cthe need to leave the city promptly.\u201d<\/p>\n Zelenskyy responded by saying that while Kyiv has not received any official requests for a truce, in the time left until midnight on Wednesday \u201cit is realistic to ensure\u201d that a ceasefire takes effect. He urged the Kremlin \u201cto take real steps to end their war, especially since Russia\u2019s Defense Ministry believes it cannot hold a parade in Moscow without Ukraine\u2019s goodwill.\u201d<\/p>\n For years, the Kremlin has used the pomp-filled Victory Day parade to showcase its military might and global clout, and it has been a source of patriotic pride.<\/p>\n But this year, the parade in the Russian capital will take place without tanks, missiles and other military equipment for the first time in nearly two decades. Some of the smaller parades that are held elsewhere across the country have also been pared down or even canceled for security reasons.<\/p>\n Speaking at a summit with European leaders in Armenia on Monday, Zelenskyy said that the Russian authorities \u201cfear drones may buzz over Red Square\u201d on May 9. \u201cThis is telling. It shows they are not strong now, so we must keep up the pressure through sanctions on them,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n World War II<\/a> remains a rare point of consensus in Russia\u2019s divisive history under Communist rule. The Soviet Union lost 27 million people in what it called the Great Patriotic War in 1941-45, an enormous sacrifice that left a deep scar in the national psyche.<\/p>\n Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has ruled Russia for over 25 years, has turned Victory Day into a key pillar of his tenure and has tried to use it to justify the war in Ukraine.<\/p>\n Last year\u2019s parade<\/a> on the 80th anniversary drew the most global leaders to Moscow<\/a> in a decade, including high-profile guests like Chinese President Xi Jinping, Brazilian President Luiz In\u00e1cio Lula da Silva and Slovakia\u2019s Prime Minister Robert Fico.<\/p>\n Fico will attend the parade this year, as well. <\/p>\n