On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a temporary ceasefire with Ukraine throughout the Orthodox Easter holiday, the Kremlin announced, after Kiev also proposed a cessation of hostilities.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier this week that he had agreed to a truce proposal through the United States, even as talks to end the four-year-old war faltered amid a shift in global focus to the Middle East.“A ceasefire was announced from 16.00 (13.00 GMT) on April 11 until the end of April 12, 2026” by Putin, “in connection with the approaching Orthodox Easter,” the Kremlin said.The statement added that the General Staff “received instructions to stop combat operations in all directions for this period,” noting that the forces are ready “to confront any possible provocations by the enemy.”He added: “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 together, with momentum slowing further as Washington’s attention turns to Iran.Negotiations remain at an impasse, with Moscow demanding territorial and political concessions that Kiev has rejected as tantamount to surrender.The war has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and displaced millions, making it the bloodiest conflict in Europe since World War II.
