Putin Announces Easter Truce In Ukraine Conflict

Russian President, Vladimir Putin, has declared a temporary Easter truce in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, effective from 6:00 PM Saturday (1500 GMT) until midnight Sunday (2100 GMT).

The brief ceasefire proposal aligns with an ongoing diplomatic push, including pressure from former U.S. President Donald Trump, who has been urging both Moscow and Kyiv to agree to a truce, although without significant progress in securing major concessions from Russia.

In his televised address, Putin confirmed the ceasefire, stating, “Today, from 1800 (1500 GMT) to midnight Sunday (2100 GMT), the Russian side announces an Easter truce.”

He spoke while meeting with Russia’s chief of staff, General Valery Gerasimov. Easter, a significant holiday for Christians worldwide, is being observed on Sunday.

Putin cited humanitarian reasons for the ceasefire, saying, “I order for this period to stop all military action.” He emphasized that Russia’s commitment to the truce would be contingent upon Ukraine’s adherence to the same conditions.

However, Putin also warned that Russian forces must remain vigilant against any potential violations of the ceasefire, adding, “Our troops must be ready to resist possible breaches of the truce and provocations by the enemy, any aggressive actions.”

The Russian President also referred to previous violations by Ukraine, noting that Russian Chief of Staff Gerasimov had reported Ukraine “more than 100 times” had breached agreements not to target energy infrastructure.

This claim follows Russia’s resumption of attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities after it lifted a moratorium on such strikes just days earlier.

Putin framed the proposed truce as a test of Ukraine’s willingness to engage in genuine peace negotiations. “This ceasefire will show how sincere the Kyiv regime’s readiness is, its desire and ability to observe agreements and participate in a process of peace talks,” he stated.

This new truce proposal follows unsuccessful attempts to implement ceasefires in past Easter periods, including in April 2022, and during Orthodox Christmas in January 2023.

On both occasions, the ceasefires were not honoured due to both sides accusing each other of violations, and no formal agreements were reached.