Russian President Vladimir Putin's so-called Easter truce was a "charm offensive" aimed at appeasing U.S. President Donald Trump, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told FranceInfo on April 22.
The Trump administration has grown increasingly impatient with its stalled efforts to broker a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia.
The U.S. president has even said he would abandon the effort unless there is tangible progress, though he later voiced optimism that the deal could be reached.
"The Easter truce that Putin announced, somewhat unexpectedly, was more of a PR move — a charm offensive intended to prevent President Trump from becoming impatient or upset," Barrot told the broadcaster.
Putin's ceasefire was to last from 6 p.m. on April 19 until midnight on April 21, but failed to hold. Ukraine has said Russian forces violated the truce in almost 3,000 cases.
Moscow also accused Kyiv of violations, while Ukraine has said it would carry out military actions only in a "symmetrical" response to Russian attacks.
Ukraine also responded to the Russian proposal by suggesting a 30-day ceasefire on all long-range drone and missile strikes against civilian infrastructure. The Kremlin signaled it would review the proposal, but its forces launched heavy attacks against Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Kherson, Odesa, and other cities on April 22.
"The U.S. encouraged Kyiv to go further by suggesting a full 30-day ceasefire. Ukraine accepted, and now it's up to Putin to accept the same principle," Barrot said. Moscow previously rejected a full 30-day truce agreed upon by Kyiv and Washington on March 11 in Jeddah.
European, Ukrainian, and U.S. officials held talks on a potential ceasefire deal in Paris on April 17, with a follow-up meeting scheduled for April 23 in London. Barrot said that European leaders outlined their "red lines" in a peace deal, but he did not elaborate on the specifics.
Natalia Yermak
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