Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a temporary “Easter truce” in a three-year conflict in Ukraine that will last until midnight on Sunday.
“On the grounds of humanitarianism, the Russian side announced an Easter truce today from Sunday to Monday,” Putin said in a televised statement issued by the Kremlin. The statement has been translated. “During this period, I am to stop all the battles. We assume that the Ukrainian side will follow our example. At the same time, our troops should be prepared to reflect any active actions that the enemy may violate the armistice and provocation.”
The Kremlin News Agency said Putin announced the ceasefire for the first time in a chair meeting with Chief of Staff Velary Gerasimov.
Russia's Ministry of Defense said in a translation statement that the ceasefire was “for humanitarian purposes and will be observed by Russian unified forces (troops) as long as the Kiev regime respects it with each other.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized the news as “Putin's next attempt to play with people's lives”, saying that “an air alarm is now spreading on Ukrainian territory” as Russian drones were recorded in the sky at 5:15 local time.
“Ukrainian air defense and aviation have begun to work hard to protect. The 'Shaheeds' in our sky is Putin's true attitude towards Easter and people's lives,” Zelenskyy said.
“Shaheeds” may be a reference to Shahed drones, which have been widely used by Russia during the war.
Announced on the second day US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says If no progress is made in the coming days, President Trump's administration is ready to “continue” from the peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. Rubio commented in Paris, after Landmark talk Among us, Ukrainian and European officials.
“We're now at the point where we need to decide whether it's possible,” Rubio told reporters when he left Paris. “Because if it's not, then I think we're going to keep going.”
“This is not our war,” Rubio added. “We have other priorities to focus on,” he said, and the U.S. government hopes to make a decision “within a few days.” A meeting is expected to be held in London next week.
Later on Friday, Mr. Trump responded to the frustration at the pace of negotiations and Rubio's frustration. Asked about Rubio’s comments on Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that “quite complicated” negotiations are underway between the United States and Russia, although he said there are no direct negotiations between Trump and Putin in the coming days.
Earlier on Saturday, Russia's defense ministry said its forces pushed Ukrainian forces away from one of the last footholds in Russia's Kursk region. The ministry said Russian troops controlled the village of Olichinya, which borders Ukraine.
The Associated Press was unable to verify the claim immediately. In the same statement responding to the ceasefire, Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces “continue their activities” and are “maintaining their position in the Kursk region”. He also said that the military had “progressed and increased our control zone” in the Russian city of Belgorod, about 24 miles from the Russian-Ukrainian border.
According to Tass of the Russian State News Agency, Russia is still working to drive Ukrainian troops out of the village of Gornal, about 7 miles south of Oleshnya.
The agency said that the Russian army has not yet driven the Ukrainian armed forces out of Gornar… to fully liberate the Kursk region. In the settlement, fierce battles are underway. ”
