Ukrainian, US negotiators to meet this week

Rustem Umerov, Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council secretary, will travel to the United States this week for talks with U.S. special presidential envoy Steve Witkoff, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported Thursday, reported Xinhua.

According to the report, the meeting could take place in Miami, Florida.

In March, Ukrainian and U.S. delegations met in Miami and discussed security guarantees and humanitarian issues in settling the Ukraine crisis.

Meanwhile, Russia on Thursday declared a ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict during the Victory Day celebrations from midnight on May 8 to May 10.

The Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement that all Russian military groupings in the conflict zone would completely halt combat operations during the designated period.

The statement added that Russia would also suspend missile and artillery strikes, as well as the use of long-range precision weapons launched from air and sea platforms and combat drones targeting Ukrainian military positions and related infrastructure deep inside Ukrainian territory.

Russia called on the Ukrainian side to observe the ceasefire as well.