Unprecedented Wartime Decree: Kyiv Permits Moscow’s Victory Day Parade

President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Decree temporarily designating Red Square a “no-strike zone” marks a dramatic shift in the war narrative, signaling Ukraine’s military reach, diplomatic leverage, and moral positioning during a US-brokered ceasefire and prisoner exchange. Make us preferred on Google Flip Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Russian President Vladimir at the Kremlin in Moscow on May 8, 2026. (Photo by Ramil Sitdikov / POOL / AFP) Content Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Flip Make us preferred on Google For four years, May 9 has been a day of dread in Ukraine and defiant militarism in Russia. But that changed today. As the world watches Red Square, the story is no longer just about the missiles on display – or the lack of them – but about the phone calls and high-stakes meetings that allowed this to happen. Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official . In an unprecedented order, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy formally permitted Russia to hold its May 9 Victory Day parade in Moscow and excluded Red Square from Ukrainian strike plans for the duration of the event. According to the presidential decree, the move was made “taking into account numerous requests” and “for humanitarian purposes” outlined in negotiations with the US side on Friday. It allows the parade to take place in Moscow on May 9, 2026, and orders that, from 10 a.m. Kyiv time, Red Square be excluded from “the plan for the use of Ukrainian weapons.” The document also lists the exact GPS coordinates of the Red Square, signaling that Ukraine has the precision and capability to strike the heart of Moscow at will. When the war started four years ago, it seemed almost impossible that Kyiv could strike Moscow. The order acknowledges that while Ukraine could do so, it chooses not to. Kyiv is choosing diplomacy to save people’s lives in a war that it did not start. How many times we were able to say about Russia? Zelensky explicitly stated that Red Square is “less important” than the lives of the 1,000 Ukrainian prisoners expected to return home in the exchange. Other Topics of Interest US Disables Three Iranian‑Flagged Tankers Under Gulf Blockade US forces disabled three Iranian‑flagged tankers in the Gulf of Oman using fighter jets and enforced a blockade on vessels entering Iranian ports. The strikes involved precision munitions and cannon fire, leaving the ships unable to operate. The move comes amid heightened tensions in the region, even as diplomatic discussions between Washington and Tehran continue. Kyiv has flipped the narrative of the war from one of defense to one of conditional allowance. The decree became the extraordinary conclusion to the ceasefire saga surrounding Russia’s Victory Day – a sequence that began with Putin calling Trump to secure a pause, continued with Rustem Umerov’s high-stakes talks in Miami, and ended with Zelensky formally permitting the parade. The symbolism is devastating for the Kremlin. By establishing a US-brokered “no-strike zone” over Red Square, Ukraine has made clear that the parade’s safety now sits in Kyiv. Sevinj Osmanqizi is a journalist covering US foreign policy, security, and geopolitics, with a focus on the broader post-Soviet space. She reports on Washington’s decision-making and its implications for Ukraine and regional stability.