Putin declares Easter ceasefire in Ukraine
Russian president Vladimir Putin has ordered a temporary ceasefire in Ukraine for Orthodox Easter. The pause in hostilities will begin at 17:00 Belgian time on Sunday and last until 23:00 the same day. Moscow said all Russian military operations will be suspended during this window and called on Ukraine to do the same.
"The Russian side is declaring an Easter ceasefire today from 18:00 (Moscow time, ed.) to midnight (Moscow time, ed.) Sunday to Monday for humanitarian reasons. I am giving the order to cease all hostilities during that period," Putin said during a meeting broadcast on Russian television.
Warning for Ukraine
Putin followed up his statement with a warning for Ukraine, saying, "Our troops will be ready to repel possible violations of the truce and provocations from Ukraine."
Meanwhile, Russia stated that it has now recaptured more than 99 per cent of the territory occupied by the Ukrainian army in the Kursk border region. "Most of the territory in the region where the invasion took place has now been liberated. This is 1,260 square kilometres or 99.5 per cent of the territory of the region," Russian chief of staff Valery Gerasimov told Putin on television.
No response yet from US or Ukraine
Putin's Easter ceasefire comes after US president Donald Trump said the US could step back from peace talks if either side made it "difficult".
Ukraine has yet to acknowledge Putin's statement.
Russian president Vladimir Putin © PHOTO VYACHESLAV PROKOFYEV / POOL / AFP
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