Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday declared a unilateral Easter cease-fire in Ukraine, ordering Russian forces to halt combat operations from 6 p.m. Moscow time until midnight on Sunday, according to the Kremlin.
“Guided by humanitarian considerations, the Russian side is declaring an Easter truce,” Putin said during a meeting at the Kremlin with Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, according to a translated statement posted on the Kremlin’s official Telegram channel on April 19. He added that Russian troops must remain ready to repel any potential violations by Ukrainian forces.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed the announcement as disingenuous, citing continued Russian attacks. “At 17:15, Russian attack drones were detected in our skies,” he said in a post on social media, adding that Ukrainian forces remain active in Russia’s Kursk and Belgorod regions.
The announcement of the Easter cease-fire comes as U.S.-led diplomatic efforts to end the war face a critical juncture, with frustration mounting in Washington over a lack of progress.
President Donald Trump, who pledged during his campaign to broker an end to the conflict quickly after being elected, said Friday he would abandon mediation efforts altogether unless both sides show signs of genuine engagement