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Putin Announces Unilateral Easter Ceasefire in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared a unilateral ceasefire in Ukraine for the Easter weekend, directing his military to suspend hostilities from 6 p.m. Moscow time (1500 GMT) on Saturday until the end of Sunday.

Despite the announcement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy reported ongoing drone attacks by Russian forces, casting doubt on Moscow’s commitment to peace during the religious holiday. “Their actions speak louder than their words,” he said, emphasizing that Ukrainian air defense units were actively engaged in repelling Russian drone assaults.

Putin made the ceasefire declaration during a meeting with his top military official, Valery Gerasimov, stating, “In light of humanitarian considerations, we are initiating an Easter truce. All military operations must cease during this period.” He added, however, that Russian forces should remain vigilant and prepared to respond to any provocations or breaches of the ceasefire by Ukraine.

The Kremlin emphasized that the ceasefire would only be observed if Ukraine reciprocated. The Russian Ministry of Defence confirmed that orders to observe the truce had been issued to all commanding officers involved in the conflict, which Russia continues to refer to as a “special military operation.”

Meanwhile, the United States has expressed growing frustration over the lack of progress in peace negotiations. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that Washington would abandon its mediation efforts unless tangible steps toward peace are made soon.

The war, now in its third year, began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Putin has consistently called for an end to the conflict but demands that Kyiv formally abandon its NATO membership ambitions and withdraw from four Ukrainian regions claimed by Russia—conditions Ukraine has rejected as unacceptable.

Putin also noted Russia’s openness to peace initiatives led by the US, China, and BRICS countries, while reaffirming Moscow’s stance on territorial claims.

In a separate development, Russia and Ukraine exchanged 246 prisoners of war each on Saturday, a swap facilitated by the United Arab Emirates. Russian authorities stated the returned POWs were receiving medical and psychological support in Belarus.

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