Trump and Putin Call for a Brief Cease-Fire in Ukraine

In a lengthy phone call on Wednesday, President Trump and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia agreed that there should be a brief cease-fire in Ukraine in the coming days, according to both Mr. Trump and a top adviser to Mr. Putin.

The cease-fire would coincide with the May 9 Russian holiday marking the end of World War II, said Yuri Ushakov, Mr. Putin’s chief foreign policy adviser, but he did not give precise timing.

Mr. Trump told reporters at the White House: “I suggested a little bit of a cease-fire and I think he might do that. There’s so many people being killed, it’s so ridiculous.”

Mr. Ushakov did not say explicitly who had suggested a truce, but said that Mr. Putin “informed his American counterpart of his readiness to declare a cease-fire for the duration of the Victory Day celebrations.” Mr. Trump “actively” supported the idea, Mr. Ushakov said.

This year, Russia has significantly pared down its plans to celebrate Victory Day, which is among the most sacrosanct of state holidays under Mr. Putin, and usually sees parades in all major cities and many towns. In a departure from decades-long tradition, there will be no heavy military equipment rolling through Red Square, an acknowledgment of Ukraine’s long-range strike capacity.

A spokesman for President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine said that Kyiv first needed to clarify what Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin had discussed before it could weigh in on a potential cease-fire. Moscow and Kyiv brokered a cease-fire earlier this month, timed to coincide with Orthodox Easter, but each side accused the other of multiple violations.