On April 19, 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a unilateral Easter ceasefire in Ukraine, ordering his forces to halt attacks from 6 p.m. Moscow time (1500 GMT) on Saturday through Sunday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy dismissed the gesture, citing ongoing Russian drone attacks as evidence of Moscow’s lack of sincerity.
The announcement, reported by Reuters, comes during unsuccessful peace efforts, with U.S. President Donald Trump indicating a possible withdrawal from mediation.
President Vladimir Putin, speaking directly to military chief Valery Gerasimov in the Kremlin, ordered Russian forces to halt all military operations for humanitarian reasons and called on Ukraine to do the same. He emphasised that Russian troops must remain ready to respond to any violations of the ceasefire by Ukraine. The Russian Defence Ministry stated that commanders in the “special military operation” zone had received these instructions and reiterated that Russian forces would observe the truce as long as Ukraine reciprocates
Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a unilateral Easter ceasefire in Ukraine, ordering his forces to end hostilities at 6 p.m. Moscow time (1500 GMT) on Saturday until the end of Sunday https://t.co/qHGRMjruVt pic.twitter.com/6yoewMFHWn
— Reuters (@Reuters) April 19, 2025Zelenskiy, however, reported Ukrainian air defences countering Russian drones on Saturday, stating, “This shows Moscow’s true attitude to Easter and human lives.” His scepticism reflects Kyiv’s broader rejection of Putin’s peace terms, which demand Ukraine abandon NATO ambitions and cede four regions, terms Kyiv views as surrender, according to The Guardian.
JUST IN: 🇷🇺🇺🇦 Russian President Putin orders Easter weekend ceasefire in Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/8dnFrAgzNG
— BRICS News (@BRICSinfo) April 19, 2025The Russia-Ukraine war, sparked by Putin’s invasion on February 24, 2022, has seen relentless fighting, with millions displaced and thousands killed. Putin’s ceasefire follows repeated claims of seeking peace, though his conditions have stalled negotiations. On April 18, 2025, Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned the U.S. would abandon peace talks without progress, per Bloomberg. A UAE-mediated prisoner swap of 246 POWs each on Saturday offered a rare diplomatic breakthrough, with Russian POWs receiving care in Belarus.
Putin welcomed mediation efforts from the U.S., China, and BRICS nations, but escalating tensions and Zelenskiy’s distrust cast doubt on the ceasefire’s viability. X posts, like “Another Putin stunt?” reflect scepticism, though sentiment remains inconclusive without wider consensus. The U.S.’s potential exit from talks could shift dynamics, leaving China and BRICS as key players, as noted by Al Jazeera.
