As we wrote on Temat.pl, on April 19, TASS news agency reported that Vladimir Putin announced an "Easter truce" in the war with Ukraine. He stressed that he was guided by "humanitarian considerations".
– Russia will halt all military activities from 6:00 p.m. Moscow time (17 Polish time) 19 April to 00:00 Moscow time (23 Polish time) 21 April – announced the Russian leader. So the truce would last 30 hours.
– We presume Ukraine will follow in our footsteps. At the same time, our troops must be ready to defy possible provocations or violations by the opponent," Putin stressed. On the another hand, the Ministry of Defence of Russia informed that the armed forces would respect the truce if it was "reciprocally respected" by Ukraine.
Volodymyr Zelenski: Russia breaks the Easter truce
However, on Sunday morning the president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenski stated on X that Moscow "is trying to make a general impression of a ceasefire, but in any places it does not quit attempts at offensive and inflicting losses on Ukraine". During the first six hours of the "large-night truce", there were to be 387 shellings, 19 land attacks, and 290 cases of drone use.
Emphasising that Russia is inactive carrying out armed activities, Zelenski added: "Our soldiers respond everywhere as the enemy deserves – according to the current situation at the front."
On Saturday evening, a fewer hours after the truce began, Zelenski pointed out that "if Russia truly abruptly decides to complete and unconditional silence, Ukraine will respond adequately – reflecting its actions".
"Our actions are and will be symmetrical. The proposal for a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire remains valid – now Moscow has to respond to it," the president of Ukraine wrote on platform X. He added that Ukraine is ready to extend the truce beyond April 20, referring most likely to an earlier US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire that Kiev had already accepted.
Donald Trump discouraged by the deficiency of advancement in peace talks between Russia and Ukraine
As the BBC recalls, it was not the first effort to declare a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine – a akin initiative during Orthodox Christmas in January 2023 failed erstwhile both sides could not scope an agreement. In turn, last month, Moscow rejected the proposal for a full and unconditional ceasefire, agreed earlier by the US and Ukraine.
Let us add that U.S. president Donald Trump warned on Friday that Washington would quit further brokering in peace talks if no fast advancement was made. Earlier, Secretary of State Marco Rubio pointed out that the U.S. did not intend to "continue this process for weeks and months" due to the fact that they "must focus on another priorities".
– We request to be very fast – I am talking about a fewer days – to find if this has a chance to go. If not, we will just decision on," Marco Rubio said about Russian-Ukrainian peace talks.
