Donald Trump has threatened Vladimir Putin with heavier sanctions if he does not agree to a ceasefire as Moscow prepares for its annual Victory Day parade. The US president took to his social media platform Truth Social after speaking on the phone with Volodymyr Zelensky about peace negotiations. He wrote: “Talks with Russia/Ukraine continue. The US calls for, ideally, a 30-day unconditional ceasefire. If the ceasefire is not respected, the US and its partners will impose further sanctions.”
This comes as Russia celebrates Victory Day, an annual day of rememberance on May 9 marking the the victory of the Soviet Union over Nazi Germany in 1945. The Kremlin typically uses the day as an opportunity to show off its military prowess with a significant show of force in Red Square, this year attended by dozens of Putin’s allies from around the world, such as China’s Xi Jinping.
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