Moscow, Apr 19 (EFE).— A 30-hour ceasefire ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin for Orthodox Easter came into force Saturday evening, with Moscow urging Ukraine to honor the pause in hostilities or face immediate military response.
The ceasefire began at 6:00 p.m. local time on Saturday and will remain in place until midnight on Sunday.
As supreme commander of the Armed Forces, Putin said he hoped Ukraine would observe the truce, but ordered Russian troops to be ready to respond to any violations.
Putin, who made this announcement during the meeting with the Chief of the General Staff, Valeri Gerasimov, expressed his confidence that Ukraine would join the Easter truce, the Kremlin reported on its Telegram channel.
The Kremlin said the decision to pause the military activities was “guided by humanitarian considerations.”
“I order that all military actions be stopped for this period,» said Putin, who openly professes his Christian faith.
However, he stressed that Russian troops must be prepared for possible ceasefire violations by Kyiv. They must be ready to repel any provocations by the enemy, any aggressive actions.
“At the same time, our troops must be prepared to react to possible violations of the ceasefire and provocations by the adversary, to any aggressive actions.”
Putin accused Ukraine of breaching a 30-day “energy truce” more than 100 times.
That ceasefire was unilaterally declared by Moscow on Mar. 18 and later joined by Kyiv through US mediation.
Reiterating that Moscow remains open to peace negotiations, Putin welcomed efforts by US President Donald Trump, Chinese leader Xi Jinping, and BRICS nations “who support a peaceful and fair resolution to the Ukrainian crisis.”
Putin is expected to attend the Easter vigil at Moscow’s Christ the Savior Cathedral later on Saturday night.
His truce declaration came hours after Trump reportedly issued an ultimatum warning of US disengagement from the peace process if negotiations between Russia and Ukraine fail to show progress in the coming days.
Putin has resisted broader ceasefire calls, arguing that a prolonged pause would allow Kyiv to regroup and receive additional Western arms supplies.
«Our decision on a Christmas truce will demonstrate how sincere the Kyiv regime’s will is—and its desire and ability to abide by agreements and engage in peace talks aimed at addressing the root causes of the Ukrainian crisis,» he said.
Reiterating that Moscow remains open to peace negotiations, Putin welcomed efforts by US President Donald Trump, Chinese leader Xi Jinping, and BRICS nations “who support a peaceful and fair resolution to the Ukrainian crisis.”
Putin is expected to attend the Easter vigil at Moscow’s Christ the Savior Cathedral later on Saturday night.
His truce declaration came hours after Trump reportedly issued an ultimatum warning of US disengagement from the peace process if negotiations between Russia and Ukraine fail to show progress in the coming days. EFE
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