Russian Prez Putin announces Easter truce in Ukraine as US warns it may pull out of peace talks
Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday declared a temporary truce in the conflict in Ukraine, timed to coincide with Orthodox Easter, and called on Kyiv to observe the same, according to Reuters.
“Today from 1800 (1500 GMT) to midnight Sunday (2100 GMT Sunday), the Russian side announces an Easter truce,” Putin said in televised comments during a discussion with Russian chief of staff Valery Gerasimov.
Russia is expected to pause its military operations from 18:00 local time (16:00 BST) today until midnight on 21 April (22:00 BST).
The Russian Ministry of Defence later confirmed the decision, saying all operations would cease during that window and describing the move as “guided by humanitarian considerations.”
“At the same time, our troops must be ready to repel possible violations of the truce and provocations from the enemy, any of its aggressive actions,” the ministry said in a translated statement.
Putin, in a video circulating online, also said that Russian troops would remain ready to respond if there were any provocations or violations during the truce.
Kremlin expects Ukraine to follow; Zelensky yet to respond
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has not yet commented on the proposal.
However, the Kremlin said it expects Kyiv to mirror Russia’s gesture and observe the same ceasefire window.
Trump says US will “take a pass” if deal faces resistance
The announcement comes amid growing pressure from the United States.
On Friday, President Donald Trump said the US would “take a pass” on further efforts to mediate if either side made negotiations too difficult.
While speaking to reporters, Trump said he wasn’t expecting a breakthrough “in a specific number of days” but added, “I want it done quickly.”
Earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a similar warning, stating that Washington would walk away from the table if no progress was visible within days.
Russia places conditions on US-backed 30-day ceasefire
Although the US had proposed an initial 30-day ceasefire, Moscow has since attached several conditions to its acceptance.
Last month, Ukraine agreed to the American-brokered proposal, with Rubio stating, “the ball is now in their Russia’s court.”
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