Easter truce or another provocation? How Ukraine and the West respond to Putin's 30-hour ceasefire

Takeaways

• Did Putin really declare a truce before Easter?

• Did Ukraine agree to a ceasefire with Russia?

• How did Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian Armed Forces respond to Putin's "Easter truce"?

• Did the fighting stop after the ceasefire announcement?

• How is the West reacting to Putin's proposal to stop the war for Easter?

Putin's decree on the truce

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin announced the "Easter truce" during a meeting with the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Federation Valery Gerasimov on Saturday, April 19. A recording of their conversation was shown on Russian TV channels.

Putin ordered Gerasimov to "stop all combat operations" from 6:00 PM on April 19 to 00:00 AM on April 21, that is, for 30 hours.

“We proceed from the assumption that the Ukrainian side will follow our example,” the dictator added.

At the same time, Putin stated that the Russian occupation troops “must be ready to repel any violations of the truce and provocations from the enemy, any of its aggressive actions.”

It is worth adding that almost immediately after Putin's order, an air raid alert sounded in Kyiv.

First reaction to Putin’s truce

The first to react to Russia's truce was the head of the Center for Countering Disinformation Andrii Kovalenko. He reminded that Ukraine had agreed to an unconditional ceasefire more than a month ago during a meeting with the US in Saudi Arabia.

“And why for 30 hours, and not an unconditional ceasefire, as we proposed back on March 11?” he wrote.

Later, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy commented on the statement by the Russian dictator.

“As for another attempt by Putin to play with people’s lives — now an air raid alert is spreading across the territory of Ukraine. At 5:15 PM Kyiv time, Russian attack drones were recorded in our skies. Ukrainian air defense and aviation have already started working to defend. Shaheds in our skies — this is Putin’s real attitude toward Easter and human lives,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram.

Did Ukraine agree to the truce

In the evening of April 19, the BBC, citing a Ukrainian officer, reported that a number of Ukrainian units received an order to cease fire on Russian positions a few minutes after the start of the "Easter truce."

According to this officer, units were instructed to take photo and video recordings of violations of the ceasefire regime, and if necessary, to return fire.

Later, Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine is ready to join the format of a comprehensive ceasefire and will mirror the actions of the Russian army.

“Silence in response to silence, defensive strikes in response to attacks. If a complete ceasefire truly takes hold, Ukraine proposes extending it beyond Easter Day on April 20. That is what will reveal Russia’s true intentions — because 30 hours is enough to make headlines, but not for genuine confidence-building measures. Thirty days could give peace a chance,” the president emphasized.

Did the fighting and shelling stop

Already in the evening of April 19, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that, according to the report of the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Russian assault actions continue in some parts of the front, and Russian artillery has not ceased.

In the morning of April 20, the head of state published an updated report. Syrskyi reported that in the period between 18:00 of the previous day and 00:00 today, there were 387 shellings and 19 assault actions by the Russian army. The Russians used drones 290 times.

In various directions of the front, there were 59 Russian shellings and five assault actions by Russian units. In the Operational Tactical Group Starobilsk, one combat clash was recorded. In the Operational Tactical Group Donetsk, three combat clashes occurred in the Pokrovsk direction and the Novopavlivka direction. Additionally, one combat clash took place in the Zaporizhzhia direction, specifically in the area of Stepove. In the Kursk region, there were Russian artillery strikes and drone use.

“Our warriors everywhere respond as the enemy deserves in the specific combat circumstances. Ukraine will continue to act mirror-like,” Zelenskyy emphasized.

The head of state added that Ukraine’s proposal to implement and extend the silence for 30 days after 00:00 today remains valid.

“In general, as of the Easter morning, we can state that the Russian army is trying to create a general impression of a ceasefire, but in some places continues individual attempts to advance and inflict losses on Ukraine. Russia must fully comply with the conditions of the silence,” the president summarized.

We emphasize that the Russian occupiers did not stop shelling civilians. Thus, after Putin’s statement in the afternoon of April 19, the invaders struck a high-rise building in Kherson.

The Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions were also under enemy fire, and in the Kherson region, due to an enemy attack, a man was killed and four people were injured.

What the Armed Forces of Ukraine say

The spokesperson for the Khortytsia operational-strategic group Nazar Voloshyn stated in a comment to RBC-Ukraine that currently Ukrainian defenders are conducting a defensive operation and are only responding to the actions of the occupiers.

According to him, the defenders will respond to the actions of the Russian army if the Russians violate the "ceasefire" they themselves declared.

"The actions of our defenders and the Defense Forces of Ukraine in general are and will be mirror-like and will act rationally, responding in a mirror-like way to every Russian strike," the spokesperson added.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the morning report indicated that over the past day there were 127 combat clashes on the front line.

How the West is reacting

The European Union reacted skeptically to Putin’s “Easter truce.” The spokeswoman for the European Commission on foreign affairs and security Anita Hipper stated that the EU expects a lasting ceasefire.

"Russia has the reputation of an aggressor, so first we need to see a real cessation of aggression and clear actions toward a lasting ceasefire," she said.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy Antonio Tajani doubted that the Russian Federation would adhere to the declared truce. He is convinced that the Russian dictator "must decide to stop the war that he himself started finally."

High-ranking officials of Donald Trump’s administration and the US president himself have not yet responded to the ceasefire declared by Putin. But Republican congressman Joe Wilson mocked the truce and called Putin a war criminal.

"War criminal Putin reminds us of his complete and utter depravity and disdain for human life by bombing playgrounds, Christian bakeries, and declaring a fake Easter ceasefire while continuing an invasion HE started and could end today. History will remember him as a weak and pathetic person. Grateful to stand with Ukraine.," Wilson wrote on X.

Negotiations regarding the war in Ukraine

Let us recall that in Saudi Arabia, two rounds of negotiations were held between Ukraine and the US, as well as between Washington and Moscow. However, Ukraine and Russia are not conducting direct negotiations on ending the war.

After discussions with the American side, Ukraine and Russia agreed to halt strikes on energy infrastructure. However, Moscow continues attacks on Ukraine’s energy sector. For instance, this week the Russian Federation attacked a DTEK production site in Dnipropetrovsk region.

Recently, Trump issued an ultimatum to the Russian dictator Putin regarding a comprehensive ceasefire and said he expects a response from Russia this week.

Also, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that the US could withdraw from the negotiations if no progress is seen. Trump also noted that the US may withdraw from the negotiations if one of the parties hinders the peace process.

More about peace negotiations regarding the war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and what Trump is planning – in the material by RBC-Ukraine.