US President Donald Trump announces three-day Ukraine-Russia ceasefire
via Punch Nigeria3 min read
US President Donald Trump announced a three-day ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia, set to begin on Saturday, May 9th, and last through May 11th. Trump stated that he personally requested the truce, and both President Vladimir Putin and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed to it. He expressed hope that this ceasefire could lead to a long-term resolution to the conflict. The truce is also intended to include a mutual exchange of 1,000 prisoners from each side. This announcement follows a period of continued fighting, with both Russia and Ukraine trading attacks on Friday before Trump's statement. Ukraine had previously dismissed a unilateral two-day ceasefire announced by Russia for its May 9th World War II Victory Day, viewing it as a propaganda measure. Ukraine also stated that Moscow had ignored its earlier proposal for a short-term ceasefire. Despite the declared ceasefire, President Zelenskyy noted that the intensity of assault operations had not decreased, and Ukraine was responding in kind. Russia reported downing over 400 Ukrainian drones, while Ukraine hailed a strike on an oil depot in Russia's Yaroslavl region and an air navigation center in Rostov-on-Don. President Putin convened a security council meeting, calling the strike an "act of a terrorist nature."
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Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, has criticized the Nigeria Democratic Congress NDC for not presenting a clear vision or manifesto for Nigeria ahead of the 2027 general elections. Onanuga stated on his X handle that he searched the party's website twice to review its manifesto and governance plans but found no accessible manifesto. He noted that the NDC, which he described as a platform for former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi and former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, had no downloadable content on its "Our Manifesto" page, despite inviting visitors to click and read it. Onanuga alleged that the party, registered in February, only displayed six policy "nuggets" described as pillars, which he felt sounded more like platitudes. PUNCH Online's checks confirmed that while the NDC website lists six core policy pillars, the manifesto download page contains no actual policy document. The presidential aide called on NDC national leader Senator Seriake Dickson to unveil the party's vision and mission for Nigeria. These comments follow Obi and Kwankwaso joining the NDC after leaving the African Democratic Congress, with Dickson positioning the party for an "ideological battle" in 2027 against the ruling All Progressives Congress.
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