Russia Easter ceasefire in Ukraine - hopes for extension
Following Moscow's announcement of an Easter ceasefire, Kiev has proposed a 30-day extension. During the night, soldiers from the two warring parties monitored each other in order to react immediately to any violations of the ceasefire.
20.04.2025, 04:14
SDA
Both sides accused the other of repeatedly attacking enemy positions. Following Moscow's statement, Kiev emphasized that it would be guided by the behaviour of the Russian side. "Silence (of weapons) in return for silence, defensive strikes in response to attacks", emphasized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi on Platform X.
On Holy Saturday, Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin had surprisingly declared a short ceasefire for Easter in his war against Ukraine and issued corresponding orders to the troops. The ceasefire is to last for 30 hours - from early Saturday evening until midnight (local time) on Easter Sunday.
After initial skepticism, Ukrainian President Selensky responded with a counter-proposal and suggested extending the ceasefire by 30 days. "If the complete ceasefire actually holds, Ukraine is proposing an extension beyond April 20," Selensky wrote on Platform X. "This would show Russia's true intentions - because 30 hours is enough for headlines, but not for real confidence-building measures," the president added. "30 days would give peace a chance."
Selensky: Fighting continues on Russian soil
Despite the ceasefire, Zelenskyi reported to X about ongoing fighting on Russian soil and artillery fire along the front in Ukraine. In the meantime, the situation has calmed down in some areas.
The ceasefire announced by Putin therefore referred to the front in Ukraine. Referring to the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian military, Zelenskyi reported that fighting was continuing in the Russian border regions of Kursk and Belgorod - where Ukraine has made advances on Russian soil. Russian attacks are also continuing there. Kiev's military claims could not initially be independently verified.
According to Selensky's post, Russian artillery could still be heard on some sections of the front in Ukraine itself. Russian drones were also still in use. The Ukrainian military would behave in the same way as Russia.
The General Staff in Kiev reported that there had been a total of 107 armed clashes along the front lines on Saturday, as well as Russian artillery and air strikes. However, it was not clear from the statistics published on Facebook whether and how much fighting had taken place after the ceasefire came into force.
The Russian military also reported violations and armed provocations by the Ukrainians. There were particularly heavy clashes near Kherson in the south of Ukraine.
Ukrainian foreign minister to Putin: "30 hours instead of 30 days"
Meanwhile, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha was also critical of the 30-hour ceasefire at Easter. In a post on X, he recalled that Ukraine had agreed to the US proposal of a 30-day ceasefire during peace talks in Jeddah at the beginning of March. However, Russia had rejected this and instead set a series of preconditions.
"30 hours instead of 30 days", Sybiha summarized Putin's offer. Unfortunately, the Russian mismatch between statements and facts is well known. "We know that we cannot trust his words and that we look at the deeds, not the words." In his opinion, Moscow could always agree to a 30-day ceasefire without preconditions.
Increasing pressure from Washington
The Ministry of Defense in Moscow announced that the ceasefire was being introduced for humanitarian reasons. The background to this decision was initially unclear. Putin had already ordered his troops to observe a one-and-a-half-day ceasefire on the fronts in Ukraine in January 2023 for the Orthodox Christmas holiday.
Washington had recently increased the pressure on the warring parties to agree to the early start of peace talks. US President Donald Trump has made it clear that he wants to see rapid progress so that the war in Ukraine ends soon - otherwise his government could stop its efforts. He wants to see an agreement "very soon", Trump said in the White House. He did not specify how many days this meant. The US President emphasized that he had no interest in continuing his mediation efforts if both sides were unwilling to compromise.
UN takes "note" of ceasefire
The United Nations "took note" of the ceasefire announced by Moscow without comment, as Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres, said. "We have consistently called for a lasting ceasefire in Ukraine and reiterate our support for meaningful efforts to achieve a just, lasting and comprehensive peace that fully respects Ukraine's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity in accordance with the United Nations Charter, international law and relevant UN resolutions."
