Putin calls for Easter truce, skepticism rises amid past violations
Vladimir Putin has called for an "Easter truce," announcing that Russia will cease all military actions from 6 PM Moscow time on April 19 to midnight on April 20. He urged Ukraine to make a similar declaration.
What you need to know
- Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a multi-day "Easter truce."
- The leader hopes Kyiv will also decide on a ceasefire.
- During previous "truces" called by Putin, Russia did not cease attacks.
Many claims made by Russian and Belarusian media or government representatives are elements of propaganda. Such reports are part of the information war waged by the Russian Federation.
During a Kremlin meeting, Putin received a report from Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov on the front-line situation. He stated that the Russian side would suspend its actions in the coming days.
- Guided by humanitarian considerations, today from 18:00 to midnight from Sunday to Monday, the Russian side declares an Easter truce. I order all military actions to be stopped for this period - said Putin, according to a Kremlin statement.
The military remains on alert
- 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 action - he said.
Putis stated that the decision regarding the Easter truce will show how sincere the Kyiv authorities' readiness is and their willingness and ability to abide by agreements and participate in peace negotiations.
He also accused Kyiv of violating the moratorium on attacks targeting energy infrastructure, which was in effect from March 18 to April 17.
Will there be an agreement? Previous ones didn't stop the fighting
During this time, Russia also violated the agreement, among other things by attacking a Ukrainian energy facility in the Dnipropetrovsk region with drones.
Ukrainians also pointed out that during the "energy truce," Russians killed more Ukrainians than during the analogous period before its announcement.
In January 2023, the Russian authorities announced a "Christmas truce." Nevertheless, the fighting did not stop.
