Putin announces truce with Ukraine during Orthodox Easter celebrations

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday announced a temporary ceasefire with Ukraine for the duration of the Orthodox Easter holidays, the Kremlin said, after Kyiv also proposed a pause in hostilities.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier this week that he had passed a holiday truce proposal via the United States, even as talks to end the four-year war stalled amid shifting global focus to the Middle East.“A ceasefire is declared from 16:00 (13:00 GMT) on 11 April until the end of the day on 12 April 2026” by Putin, “in connection with the approaching Orthodox feast of Easter,” the Kremlin said.The General Staff “have been instructed to cease combat operations in all directions for this period,” it added, noting that troops are ready to “counter any possible provocations by the enemy”.“We assume that the Ukrainian side will follow the example of the Russian Federation.”Several rounds of US-led talks have failed to bring the two sides closer, with momentum slowing further as Washington’s attention shifted to Iran.Negotiations remain deadlocked, with Moscow demanding territorial and political concessions that Kyiv has rejected as tantamount to capitulation.The war has killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions, making it Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II.