Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a 30-hour Easter ceasefire in the current conflict with Ukraine, urging Kyiv to return the gesture in goodwill. The ceasefire will commence at 6:00 p.m. local time (1500 GMT) on Saturday, April 19, and run until midnight Sunday (2100 GMT).
Today from 1800 until midnight Sunday, the Russian side declares an Easter truce,” Putin stated in a televised meeting with General Staff Head Valery Gerasimov. He underlined the temporary character of the truce and the necessity to both sides to keep it respectfully.
As he made a call for mutual observance of the ceasefire, Putin also ordered Russian troops to stay alert. “Our troops need to be prepared to react to any provocation or violations by the enemy,” he warned, implying potential disturbances in the truce.
The step comes after an American initiative allegedly put before European leaders while Secretary of State Marco Rubio was visiting Paris last week, with an emphasis on reducing the war in progress.
In spite of the announcement of the ceasefire, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy cautioned that Russia could utilize the Easter holiday to carry out or prepare additional military attacks. “We know what Russia is getting ready for,” Zelenskyy wrote Thursday, adding that “new Russian attacks are possible before, during, and after Easter.”
The Easter ceasefire is being seen with guarded optimism but skepticism is still high considering previous ceasefire breaches and ongoing fighting. The international community has urged both sides to keep the spirit of Easter alive by suspending violence and allowing humanitarian relief and efforts at peace-making to begin anew.
With the window of ceasefire drawing near, everyone is watching the frontlines to determine if this temporary lull in hostilities will last or be tainted by ongoing violence.
