Russian President Vladimir Putin's announcement of a temporary Easter ceasefire in Ukraine has drawn skepticism from Ukrainian officials and global observers. Set to commence on Saturday evening and conclude at midnight on Easter Sunday, the truce is presented as a humanitarian gesture. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has criticized the move, citing ongoing Russian drone attacks and a lack of genuine commitment to peace.
Ahead of the Easter holiday, Putin announced in a video a temporary ceasefire in Russia’s war with Ukraine, which has gone on for more than three years.
“On humanitarian grounds, today from 6 p.m. to midnight from Sunday to Monday, the Russian side announces an Easter truce. For this period, I order to stop all fighting. We assume that the Ukrainian side will follow our example. At the same time, our troops should be prepared to reflect possible violations of the truce and provocations by the enemy, any aggressive actions,” the Kremlin said in a statement alongside Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov.
“I order that all military actions be stopped for this period,” he continued.
Russia’s Defense Ministry stated that the ceasefire was being implemented “for humanitarian purposes,” adding that it would be honored by Russian forces — but only if it was “mutually respected by the Kiev regime.”
However, Zelensky dismissed Putin’s ceasefire as a political stunt, noting that air raid sirens were still sounding across Ukraine. While he didn’t directly address the truce, his comment suggested skepticism about Russia’s sincerity.
“As for yet another attempt by Putin to play with human lives—at this moment, air raid alerts are spreading across Ukraine," Zelensky wrote on X. “At 17:15, Russian attack drones were detected in our skies. Ukrainian air defense and aviation have already begun working to protect us. Shahed drones in our skies reveal Putin’s true attitude toward Easter and toward human life.”
The Ukrainian President reported that his country’s troops were actively engaged in combat in the Kursk region and successfully holding their ground.
“In the Belgorod region, our warriors have advanced and expanded our zone of control," his post continued, not acknowledging whether he would cooperate with the truce.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga said Ukraine awaits "actions, not words" from Putin. He said that although Putin claims he's ready for a ceasefire, those claims aren't trustworthy. Instead of believing what Putin says, they'll judge based on what he actually does. Sybiga pointed out that Russia "ignored" the United States' proposal for a 30-day truce after Ukraine responded positively.”
“If Russia is now suddenly ready to truly engage in a format of full and unconditional silence, Ukraine will act accordingly — mirroring Russia’s actions," Zelensky said. "Silence in response to silence, defensive strikes in response to attacks. That is what will reveal Russia’s true intentions — because 30 hours is enough to make headlines, but not for genuine confidence-building measures. Thirty days could give peace a chance.”
“As of now, according to the Commander-in-Chief reports, Russian assault operations continue on several frontline sectors, and Russian artillery fire has not subsided. Therefore, there is no trust in words coming from Moscow. We know all too well how Moscow manipulates, and we are prepared for anything. Ukraine’s Defense Forces will act rationally — responding in kind. Every Russian strike will be met with an appropriate response,” he added.