Putin's attempt to present himself as main peacemaker failed
Photo: Vladimir Putin, Russian president (Getty Images)
Vladimir Putin tried to present himself as a peacemaker by announcing a so-called "Easter ceasefire." However, this Russian information operation failed, according to Andrii Kovalenko, the head of the Center for Countering Disinformation.
"The Russian information operation, aimed at accusing Ukraine of sabotaging the 'ceasefire,' failed, including in the Western information space," stated Kovalenko.
According to him, Russia itself did not adhere to the ceasefire it had announced. In some areas, the Russian army used the time to prepare for potential new assaults, while in key directions, fighting continued.
"Of course, if Russia truly wanted to end the war, it could have extended the 'Easter truce' for another 30 days at the outset. And, of course, President Zelenskyy's proposal to halt missile and long-range drone strikes on civilians is highly reasonable," emphasized the head of the Center for Countering Disinformation.
Kovalenko added that it would soon become clear whether Russia was truly aiming to end the war, but so far, this is not evident.
"I'll reiterate, Putin's attempt to portray himself as the main peacemaker has failed in the information space. This is important," Kovalenko stressed.
Putin's 'Easter ceasefire'
Щn April 19, 2025, Vladimir Putin announced a 30-hour "Easter ceasefire" in Ukraine, set to last from 6:00 PM Moscow time until midnight on April 20.
President Zelenskyy immediately expressed skepticism about this initiative. As it turned out, hostilities continued almost immediately after the truce announcement, particularly in the eastern part of the country.
Today, the President reported in the evening that the Russian army violated the declared "Easter ceasefire" over 2,000 times on April 20, carrying out dozens of assaults and over a thousand shellings.
At the same time, Zelenskyy proposed a new format for the truce with Russia - abandoning any strikes with long-range drones and missiles on civilian infrastructure for at least 30 days, with the possibility of extension.
The United States expressed support for a potential continuation of the ceasefire regime in Ukraine after Easter.
Today, Russia's presidential press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, stated that the Easter truce would not be extended. This indicates Russia's lack of real readiness for a prolonged ceasefire.
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova claimed that Ukraine did not adhere to the ceasefire regime on April 20.
