By Joe Udo
KYIV (CONVERSEER) – In a rare gesture of restraint during the fifth year of war, Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a 32-hour ceasefire over the Orthodox Easter weekend, with both leaders announcing the pause just days after intense missile exchanges.
Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his forces to halt combat operations “in all directions” starting Saturday at 4 p.m. Moscow time (1 p.m. GMT), according to a Kremlin statement released Thursday. The truce will extend through the end of Easter Sunday, April 12, with Defence Minister Andrei Belousov and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov tasked with enforcing the pause.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who first proposed the truce weeks ago through U.S. mediators, confirmed his government’s agreement to the truce. “This is a step toward humanity during a sacred time,” Zelensky posted on social media, urging Russian troops to honour the deal.
The agreement echoes last year’s Easter pause, which Putin declared unilaterally but which Ukraine accused Moscow of violating with continued shelling. This time, the Kremlin has warned its troops to stay vigilant against “possible provocations,” signalling lingering distrust.
Zelensky’s initial proposal in late March focused on sparing energy infrastructure from strikes, but recent Russian attacks—including a deadly barrage that killed civilians—prompted sharp rebukes from Kyiv. Moscow had initially dismissed the offer as insufficiently “clearly formulated.”
As U.S.-mediated peace talks remain stalled, the ceasefire offers a brief respite for exhausted populations. Orthodox Easter falls on April 12 this year, a holiday observed by millions across both nations. Analysts will watch closely to see if the pause holds or fractures under the weight of mutual suspicion.
