Putin announces Orthodox Easter ceasefire after rejecting Ukraine's proposal
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Russian President Vladimir Putin on April 9 announced a ceasefire for the upcoming Orthodox Easter weekend, after previously ignoring Ukraine's calls for a similar truce.
"In connection with the approaching holiday of Orthodox Easter, a ceasefire is declared from 1600 on April 11 to the end of the day of April 12," the Kremlin said in a statement.
"We proceed on the basis that the Ukrainian side will follow the example of the Russian Federation," the statement added.
The Kremlin said Defense Minister Andrei Belousov had ordered Russia's top commander, Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, to "stop military action in all directions" during the specified period.
"Troops are to be ready to eliminate all possible provocations by the enemy, as well as any aggressive actions," the statement said.
The announcement follows Ukraine's earlier proposal for a temporary Easter ceasefire, which Moscow effectively dismissed earlier this week. On March 30, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv was ready to implement a truce during the Easter holidays and was open to various formats, including a full halt in hostilities.
While Kyiv has not yet responded to the Kremlin's latest announcement. Zelensky has called for an Easter ceasefire for more than a week — a call that has been met with continued Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities.
Eastern Orthodox Christianity, the majority religion in both Ukraine and Russia, follows the Julian calendar, under which Easter falls on April 12.
