Vladimir Putin has declared a temporary ceasefire in the conflict with Ukraine to coincide with the Orthodox Easter holiday. The truce, effective from 4 pm on April 11 until the end of April 12, was announced by the Kremlin. Both Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a pause in hostilities during this period.
Orthodox Easter in Russia falls on April 12, following the Julian calendar observed by Orthodox churches in both Ukraine and Russia. The Kremlin statement cited Putin’s decision as Supreme Commander-in-Chief to implement the ceasefire in light of the approaching Easter celebrations.
This move by Putin comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed a halt in attacks on energy infrastructure for the Easter period earlier in the week. Zelenskyy communicated this offer through the United States, which has been facilitating discussions between the delegations from Moscow and Kyiv amid the prolonged conflict.
Past efforts to establish ceasefires have had minimal impact, with accusations from both sides of violations. While Russia rejected a 30-day unconditional truce proposed by the US and Ukraine in favor of a comprehensive settlement, Moscow has previously announced shorter, unilateral ceasefires.
Zelenskyy expressed skepticism about Russia accepting the holiday pause on April 12 due to the current spike in oil prices linked to the conflict in Iran. Concerns were raised about potential shifts in US support for Ukraine if a prolonged US-Israeli conflict with Iran ensues.
Despite ongoing US-led negotiations, little progress has been made on critical issues as attention is divided by the Middle East conflict. Meanwhile, the Russian and Ukrainian military forces continue to engage along the extensive front line.
Simultaneously, Russia has targeted Ukraine’s power grid to affect civilian morale, while Kyiv has retaliated by striking Russian oil infrastructure with domestically produced long-range drones, aiming to impact Moscow’s primary source of revenue.
