Putin announces 32-hour Easter ceasefire, Ukraine agrees to comply

Vladimir Putin announced on Thursday a 32-hour ceasefire over two days to mark Orthodox Easter, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying Kyiv would adhere to the measure.

The ceasefire, coinciding with Orthodox Christian Easter celebrations on Sunday, comes as U.S.-led efforts to reach a settlement to the four-year conflict have stalled, amid broader tensions in Iran and the Middle East.

Putin’s announcement is similar to a 30-hour ceasefire he ordered last year, during which both sides accused each other of violations.

According to a Kremlin statement, the ceasefire will take effect on Saturday at 4 p.m. local time (1300 GMT) and last until the end of Sunday (2100 GMT).

“We proceed from the assumption that the Ukrainian side will follow the example of the Russian Federation,” the statement said.

It added that Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov ordered Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov to halt military operations in all directions during this period.

The statement also noted that Russian forces should remain on high alert to respond to any potential provocations or aggressive actions.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine had repeatedly proposed a halt in fighting during Orthodox Easter.

Writing on Telegram, Zelenskyy said: “Ukraine has repeatedly confirmed its readiness to take similar steps. We proposed a ceasefire during the Easter holiday this year, and we will act accordingly.”

Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told TASS that Vladimir Putin’s ceasefire proposal had not been discussed in advance with the United States and was not linked to any efforts to resume trilateral talks aimed at reaching a settlement.

Reuters