Russia and Ukraine Agree on 32-Hour Orthodox Easter Ceasefire

Moscow and Kyiv Agree to 32-Hour Ceasefire Ahead of Easter

Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced a 32-hour ceasefire for Orthodox Easter, which will begin at 4pm Moscow time on Saturday and run until midnight on Sunday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has confirmed that Ukraine will honour the ceasefire.

According to the Kremlin, Defence Minister Andrei Belousov instructed Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov to halt military operations during the period. However, Russian forces remain ready to respond to any violations.

Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine had previously proposed a similar pause and would act in kind. He emphasized the need for an Easter without threats and a real move towards peace.

The ceasefire is scheduled to take place ahead of Easter celebrations observed in both countries. The announcement comes as diplomatic efforts to end the war remain stalled, with attention shifting towards escalating tensions in the Middle East.

In recent weeks, Russia and Ukraine have carried out exchanges of soldiers’ remains, with Moscow handing over 1,000 Ukrainian soldier remains in exchange for 41 Russian bodies. These exchanges are mediated by Turkey and remain one of the few functioning lines of communication between the warring sides.

The Kremlin has stated that it did not discuss the Easter proposal with the United States or signal any immediate revival of three-way peace talks. Despite this, humanitarian channels between the two sides remain active.

Source: Al Jazeera