Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared a unilateral Easter ceasefire in Ukraine, ordering his forces to end hostilities at 6pm Moscow time on Saturday until the end of Sunday.
Putin said he assumed Ukraine would follow Russia’s example but told the chief of Russia’s general staff, Valery Gerasimov, to ready Russian troops to repel any violations of the truce by Ukrainian forces.
“Guided by humanitarian considerations, today from 18:00 00:00 from Sunday to Monday, the Russian side declares an Easter truce. I order that all military actions be stopped for this period,” Putin said at a meeting with Gerasimov, the Kremlin’s Press Service quoted him as saying.
BREAKING: Russia announces unilateral Easter ceasefire . One step closer to peace. 🕊️— Kirill A. Dmitriev (@kadmitriev) April 19, 2025
The ceasefire will therefore cover Easter Sunday, the height of the Christian calendar, which falls on Sunday this year for all Christians.
“One step closer to peace,” senior Kremlin adviser Kirill Dmitriev said in a post on X.
with AP and DPA
