President Donald Trump signaled Friday that he wants the temporary ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine to last longer than the three days both sides have agreed to, calling for a “big extension” after the two countries committed to a weekend pause in hostilities.
“I’d like to see a big extension,” Trump told NewsNation in an interview, responding to a question about whether he plans to speak again with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to keep the truce alive. The ceasefire, announced by Trump earlier in the day, is set to begin Saturday and coincides with Russia’s Victory Day celebrations, which mark the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945.
Prisoner Swap Central to Deal
Alongside the ceasefire, both nations agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners each. Trump denied that Putin initiated the request, asserting that he proposed the idea and that both leaders agreed “readily.” He described the pause as a positive step: “We have a little period of time where they’re not going to be killing people. That’s very good. And they also agreed to give … a thousand prisoners back, so they’re going to be transferring almost immediately a thousand prisoners from each side. That’s very good.”
Zelensky confirmed the arrangement on X, emphasizing that Ukraine’s support for the ceasefire was largely driven by the prospect of freeing captives. “Red Square is less important to us than the lives of Ukrainian prisoners who can be returned home,” he wrote, adding that he has instructed his team to prepare for the exchange promptly. The prisoner swap underscores a key humanitarian dimension of the war, which has seen thousands captured since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
Tensions Persist Despite Truce
This week, Kyiv and Moscow each declared unilateral ceasefires, but both sides accused the other of violations. Russia had reportedly threatened strikes on Ukraine if it was not allowed to hold its Victory Day parade, though this year’s event will notably lack the display of tanks and missiles in Red Square for the first time in nearly two decades, according to the Associated Press.
The United Nations Human Rights Office reported that between late May and August 2025, more than 3,000 prisoners of war and civilian detainees were released from both sides—the largest exchange since the war began. The latest deal builds on that momentum, though Trump’s push for an extended ceasefire faces uncertainty given the deep mistrust between the warring parties.
In a related development, Trump’s administration has been navigating multiple foreign policy flashpoints. The president recently announced a three-day ceasefire for Victory Day, and his broader diplomatic approach has drawn scrutiny. Meanwhile, domestic political battles continue, including a heated exchange over Trump’s loyalty and a bipartisan bill to restructure the Secret Service.
The ceasefire’s fate remains unclear, but Trump’s call for a longer pause signals his administration’s desire to de-escalate a conflict that has reshaped global geopolitics. For now, the focus is on the prisoner swap and whether the temporary halt can pave the way for broader negotiations.
