Putin Declares Unilateral Easter Ceasefire in Ukraine Amid Tensions

Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced a unilateral ceasefire in Ukraine for Easter, halting military actions from Saturday evening until Sunday. However, Ukraine remains skeptical of Moscow’s intentions.

In a move seen as a gesture of goodwill for the Easter period, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a unilateral ceasefire in Ukraine, instructing Russian forces to cease all hostilities from 6 p.m. Moscow time on Saturday until the end of Sunday.

Putin announced the decision based on humanitarian grounds, stating:

“I order a stop to all military activities for this period,”
and emphasized that the Russian military would remain on high alert, prepared to respond to any provocations or violations of the ceasefire by Ukrainian forces.

However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed the move, pointing to a drone attack by Russian forces on Saturday as evidence of Moscow’s true intentions. Zelenskyy’s statement criticized Russia’s actions, suggesting that the attack revealed Russia’s attitude toward Easter and the lives of civilians.

Despite the ceasefire, Putin expressed hope that Ukraine would follow suit, though he also cautioned that Russia’s forces would remain vigilant against any hostilities.

In the broader context of the ongoing war, U.S. officials, including President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have signaled that the United States could withdraw from efforts to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine unless there is clear progress in negotiations soon.

The full-scale conflict in Ukraine began when Putin ordered a large-scale military invasion on February 24, 2022, marking a significant escalation of tensions between the two nations. Putin has since repeatedly called for an end to the war, demanding that Ukraine drop its NATO membership aspirations and withdraw troops from regions claimed by Russia — demands which have been broadly rejected by Kyiv as unacceptable.

On the diplomatic front, Putin welcomed ongoing peace efforts led by countries such as the United States, China, and BRICS nations, calling for peaceful resolution talks to end the conflict.

Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed that it had communicated the ceasefire instructions to all military commanders involved in the so-called special military operation, a term used by the Kremlin to refer to the war. However, the ministry stipulated that the ceasefire would hold only if mutually respected by Ukraine.

In a separate development, both Russia and Ukraine conducted a prisoner swap on Saturday, exchanging 246 prisoners each. The swap was mediated by the UAE. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the exchanged prisoners are being provided with medical and psychological care in Belarus.

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