Vladimir Putin has announced an Easter truce in the Ukraine war from April 11-12, following Zelensky’s earlier proposal to pause attacks on energy infrastructure over Orthodox Easter
Vladimir Putin has declared an Easter ceasefire in the conflict with Ukraine. The Kremlin has proclaimed a truce from 4pm on 11 April until the end of the day on 12 April.
It is understood that Putin has ordered the Russian Armed Forces to halt all hostilities during the Easter ceasefire, and Ukraine has also suggested a pause. Orthodox Easter in Russia is observed on 12 April according to the Julian calendar used by Orthodox churches in Ukraine and Russia.
“By the decision of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief… V.V. Putin, in connection with the approaching Orthodox feast of Easter (the Resurrection of Christ), a ceasefire is declared from 16:00 (13:00 GMT) on 11 April until the end of the day on 12 April 2026,” stated the Kremlin’s announcement.
Putin’s action comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s suggestion earlier this week to respect a halt in attacks on energy infrastructure over the Orthodox Easter.
He mentioned that he made the proposal via the United States, which has been facilitating discussions between delegations from Moscow and Kyiv as the dispute enters its fifth year, reports the Mirror.
“If Russia is ready to stop strikes on our energy infrastructure, we will be ready to respond in kind,” the Ukrainian leader stated in a public address last Monday. “This proposal, conveyed through the Americans, has already been presented to the Russian side.”
Earlier efforts to broker ceasefires have yielded minimal or no results. Putin single-handedly announced a 30-hour ceasefire last Easter, though both sides blamed each other for violating it.
Last year a declaration from Putin released by the Kremlin stated: “Guided by humanitarian considerations, the Russian side is declaring an Easter truce today from 18:00 to 00:00 from Sunday to Monday. I order that all hostilities be ceased for this period. We assume that the Ukrainian side will follow suit.”
Russia essentially dismissed a 30-day unconditional truce put forward last year by the US and Ukraine as a move towards peace, demanding instead a comprehensive settlement, though Moscow has declared several brief, unilateral ceasefires.
Zelenskyy said he questioned whether the Kremlin would accept his proposal for the April 12 holiday pause as Russia is presently gaining from elevated oil prices fuelled by the Iran war. Zelenskyy fears that an extended US-Israeli conflict with Iran might weaken America’s backing for Ukraine.
The US-led negotiations have achieved no advancement on crucial matters, as Washington’s focus remains captured by the Middle East crisis, and the Russian and Ukrainian forces stay engaged in combat along the approximately 1,250-kilometre (800-mile) front line.
Meanwhile, Russia has hammered Ukraine’s power network in an attempt to demoralise civilians while Kyiv’s domestically manufactured long-range drones have consistently struck Russian oil facilities in a move to damage Moscow’s primary export earnings.