Vladimir Putin had announced a 32-hour ceasefire over Orthodox Easter, ordering a temporary halt to military operations across all fronts in the ongoing war with Ukraine.
The Kremlin said the truce would run from Saturday at 4 p.m. local time until midnight on Sunday, covering the Easter period observed by both Russia and Ukraine under the Orthodox calendar.
Putin’s order instructed Russia’s defence leadership, including Defence Minister Andrei Belousov and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, to suspend combat operations while keeping forces on alert to respond to any alleged provocations.
“We proceed on the basis that the Ukrainian side will follow the example of the Russian Federation,” the Kremlin had said, framing the pause as conditional on reciprocal restraint from Kyiv.
In response, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine would abide by the temporary ceasefire, reiterating that Kyiv had previously called for a halt in fighting during the Easter period and remained open to reciprocal steps.
“Ukraine has repeatedly stated that we are ready for reciprocal steps. We proposed a ceasefire during the Easter holiday this year and will act accordingly,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram, stressing the need for an “Easter without threats” and a pathway toward sustained peace.
The Ukrainian president added that Russia had the opportunity to extend restraint beyond the holiday period, suggesting that the temporary pause could serve as a foundation for broader de-escalation if maintained.
The Kremlin’s announcement came as both sides continued to exchange accusations over previous ceasefire violations, including a similar short-lived pause ordered by Moscow last year, which each side had accused the other of breaking.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the Easter ceasefire proposal had not been coordinated in advance with the United States, nor linked to broader negotiations involving Washington or trilateral peace talks.
The timing of the announcement coincided with renewed diplomatic activity involving Donald Trump’s administration, as Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev was reported to be in the United States for discussions on a potential peace framework and economic cooperation between Moscow and Washington.
The ceasefire also came amid wider international efforts to revive stalled negotiations aimed at ending the war, which had entered its fourth year. Previous Ukrainian proposals for temporary truces, including pauses targeting energy infrastructure strikes, had been rejected or left unanswered by Moscow.
Despite the announcement of the Easter pause, both sides have continued to accuse each other of escalating attacks in recent weeks, underscoring the fragility of any temporary cessation of hostilities.
Erizia Rubyjeana
