Russia cynically responds to US call for ceasefire in Ukraine
Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova (Getty Images)
The US has backed the idea of extending the Easter ceasefire even after the holiday. However, Moscow cynically responded to the Americans, accusing Ukraine of violating the truce, reports the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova.
Zakharova hinted that the continuation of the truce after Easter is in question because of Ukraine.
She claimed that Ukraine did not respect the ceasefire on April 20.
"Moreover, for the violation of the ceasefire, they (Ukrainians -ed.) used American-made HIMARS weapons," Zakharova accused.
The Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson also repeated Russia's previous accusations that Kyiv allegedly violated the energy truce by striking Russian facilities.
Putin's Easter ceasefire
On April 19, 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a 30-hour Easter ceasefire in Ukraine, which was supposed to last from 6:00 PM Moscow time until midnight on April 20.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy immediately expressed skepticism regarding this initiative. As it turned out, hostilities resumed almost immediately after the announcement of the ceasefire, particularly in the east of the country.
Today, the Ukrainian president reported in the evening that on April 20, the Russian army violated the ceasefire announced by the Kremlin more than 2,000 times. They launched dozens of assaults and carried out over a thousand shellings.
However, the US expressed support for a potential extension of the ceasefire in Ukraine after Easter.
Today, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that the continuation of the Easter truce is not planned. This indicates Russia's lack of genuine readiness for a prolonged ceasefire.
