On Saturday, President Vladimir Putin announced a unilateral Easter ceasefire in Ukraine, instructing Russian forces to halt hostilities from 8:30 PM IST on Saturday until the end of Sunday.
Putin expressed hope that Ukraine would reciprocate, but also directed Russia’s Chief of General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, to keep troops on alert in case of any violations or provocations from Kyiv.
“Guided by humanitarian considerations, Russia declares an Easter truce. I am ordering a suspension of all military operations during this period,” Putin told Gerasimov during a meeting at the Kremlin, according to Reuters.
What the Russian Defense Ministry said
The Russian Ministry of Defence has issued a statement confirming that all military operations will be suspended from 18:00 Moscow time (16:00 BST) today until midnight on 21 April (22:00 BST). The ministry stated that the ceasefire was declared “in light of humanitarian considerations” and emphasized that all combat activities have been ordered to stop.
They expressed hope that Ukraine would observe a similar pause in hostilities. It remains unclear whether Putin’s Easter ceasefire will pave the way for broader peace negotiations.
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Ceasefire comes amidst Russian Missile strikes on Ukrainian City
Earlier this week, two Russian ballistic missiles struck the center of Sumy, a northern Ukrainian city, killing 34 people and injuring 117—marking the deadliest attack in Ukraine so far this year.
In response, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered condolences to the victims and described the assault as a “tragic reminder” of why President Trump and his administration are investing significant time and effort in trying to bring the war to an end.
The missile strike occurred about a month after the United States announced it had secured two ceasefire agreements between Russia and Ukraine in late March, one of which included a mutual ban on targeting each other’s energy infrastructure. Despite the agreements, both nations have continued to accuse one another of violating the terms.
This development follows recent US statement on stopping efforts t0 facilitate peace
The development follows a warning from US President Donald Trump, who stated that the US would “take a pass” on facilitating further talks if either Moscow or Kyiv obstruct efforts to reach a peace agreement.
President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are reportedly growing frustrated with the sluggish progress of the peace negotiations. On Friday, both indicated that the US may withdraw from the talks if tangible results are not achieved soon.
“We expect Ukraine to respond in kind,” Putin said. “At the same time, our forces must remain ready to respond to any breaches of the ceasefire or hostile actions by the enemy.”
