President Vladimir Putin has announced an unexpected and brief unilateral Easter truce in Russia\u2019s war on Ukraine while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy insists that Russian \u201cassault operations\u201d and \u201cartillery fire are ongoing\u201d.<\/p>\n
Zelenskyy initially called the announcement on Saturday \u201canother attempt by Putin to play with human lives. \u2026 Air raid alerts are spreading across Ukraine,\u201d and \u201cShahed drones in our skies reveal Putin\u2019s true attitude toward Easter and toward human life.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Ukrainian leader said later on X that his country would abide by a truce \u201cif Russia is now suddenly ready to truly engage in a format of full and unconditional silence\u201d and suggested extending a ceasefire.<\/p>\n
In his surprise move, Putin said in televised comments while speaking to the Russian military\u2019s chief of the general staff, Valery Gerasimov: \u201cToday from 18:00 [15:00 GMT] to midnight Sunday [21:00 GMT on Sunday], the Russian side announces an Easter truce.\u201d He added that the truce is based on \u201chumanitarian considerations\u201d.<\/p>\n
Putin said he assumed Ukraine would follow Russia\u2019s example and said Kyiv\u2019s actions during the ceasefire would show its readiness for a peaceful settlement.<\/p>\n
But the Russian president also told Gerasimov to ready troops to repel any violations of the truce by Ukraine.<\/p>\n
The Russian Ministry of Defence posted on Telegram: \u201cThe ceasefire regime is being introduced for humanitarian purposes and will be observed by the Russian Joint Group of Troops, provided that it is mutually observed by the Kyiv regime\u201d.<\/p>\n
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha countered that Putin\u2019s word \u201ccannot be trusted and we will look at actions, not words\u201d.<\/p>\n
Sybiha added that Ukraine had \u201cagreed unconditionally to the U.S. proposal of a full interim ceasefire for 30 days\u201d in March, which Russia rejected. \u201cPutin has now made statements about his alleged readiness for a ceasefire. 30 hours instead of 30 days,\u201d Sybiha continued on X.<\/p>\n
Previous attempts at holding ceasefires for Easter in April 2022 and Orthodox Christmas in January 2023 were not implemented after both sides failed to agree on them.<\/p>\n
Reporting from Moscow, Al Jazeera\u2019s Yulia Shapovalova said this would be the first time Russia has suspended fire since the beginning of the war in Ukraine.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo doubt this decision would be positively received here and around the world. This move certainly gives hope to a lot of people, and the timing is also right as the Christian world is celebrating Easter these days,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Putin\u2019s announcement came a day after United States President Donald Trump said<\/a> Washington will \u201ctake a pass\u201d on trying to resolve the Russia-Ukraine war if either Moscow or Kyiv makes it too difficult to end it.<\/p>\n