Putin Declares Easter Cease-Fire in Ukraine War; Zelenskyy Accuses Russia of Continued Attacks

Russia has announced a unilateral Easter truce amid rising U.S. pressure for a breakthrough in peace negotiations with Ukraine.

In this pool photograph distributed by Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia's President Vladimir Putin chairs a Security Council meeting via videoconference at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow on March 14, 2025. Aleksey Babushkin/POOL/AFP

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday declared a unilateral Easter cease-fire in Ukraine, ordering Russian forces to halt combat operations from 6 p.m. Moscow time until midnight on Sunday, according to the Kremlin.

“Guided by humanitarian considerations, the Russian side is declaring an Easter truce,” Putin said during a meeting at the Kremlin with Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, according to a translated statement posted on the Kremlin’s official Telegram channel on April 19. He added that Russian troops must remain ready to repel any potential violations by Ukrainian forces.