Putin announces ‘Easter truce’ in Ukraine until end of Sunday » Capital News

MOSCOW, Apr 19 – Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced an “Easter truce” in Ukraine, however it’s unclear if the proposal has been accepted by Kiev.

Putin declared there will be a temporary end to hostilities from 16:00 BST Saturday day until 22:00 BST Sunday (00:00 Moscow time).

The Russian leader says he assumes Ukraine will follow the truce but Russian troops are ready to repel any possible violations.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha says Kyiv will look at Putin’s actions, not words, adding that Russia could agree with the US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire “at any time”.

Putin’s announcement comes after US President Donald Trump threatened to “pass” on Ukraine peace talks if no progress was made on a deal.

The Russian leader made the comments as he met with Chief of Russia’s General Staff Valery Gerasimov.

Russia’s Ministry of Defence said the truce had been “guided by humanitarian considerations”.

After Putin’s announcement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned drones over Ukraine and said it reveals his “true attitude toward Easter and human life”.

Since the announcement of an “Easter truce”, Russia’s Ministry of Defence says they have done an exchange of 246 prisoners of war.

The department adds 31 wounded Ukrainians were also exchanged for 15 wounded Russians as a “gesture of goodwill”.

The Ministry says that all of the released Russians will receive “treatment and rehabilitation” in medical institutions.

In his most recent post on X, Zelensky calls the return of 277 Ukrainian servicemen “one of the best pieces of news that can be”.

“I thank everyone who made this return of our people possible,” he says, adding he is “especially grateful to the United Arab Emirates for their mediation”.

According to the Ukrainian President, 4,552 people – including soldiers and civilians – have been brought back home from Russian imprisonment since the start of the war.