Russian President Vladimir Putin Declares Unilateral Easter Ceasefire In Ukraine Till Sunday End

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday declared a unilateral Easter ceasefire in Ukraine and ordered Russian forces to end hostilities 8:30 pm (IST) on Saturday until the end of Sunday.

While announcing the decision, the Russian president said he hoped that Ukraine would follow Russia's example. However, he instructed the chief of Russia's general staff, Valery Gerasimov, to keep Russian troops prepared to repel any violations of the truce by Kyiv.

"Based on humanitarian considerations ... the Russian side announces an Easter truce. I order a stop to all military activities for this period," Putin told his military chief, Valery Gerasimov, at a meeting in the Kremlin.

Putin further said, "We assume that Ukraine will follow our example. At the same time, our troops should be prepared to repel possible violations of the truce and provocations by the enemy, any aggressive actions."

The Russian ministry of defence said it had given instructions on the ceasefire to all group commanders in the area of the “special military operation”, the Kremlin’s term for the war.

Russian troops will adhere to the ceasefire provided it is “mutually respected” by Ukraine, the ministry said in a statement.

There is no immediate reaction from Ukraine in regards to Putin's announcement.

Last month, Putin agreed to pause attacks on energy infrastructure targets in Ukraine for 30 days after a telephonic conversation with United States President Donald Trump.

Published on: Saturday, April 19, 2025, 08:10 PM IST