News of Putin’s announcement of Easter truce spread widely — Kremlin

Lead

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a ceasefire in the war in Ukraine for the Orthodox Easter holiday, the Kremlin said on Thursday. The truce is set to take effect from 4:00 p.m. Moscow time (13:00 GMT) on April 11 until the end of the day on April 12, according to a Kremlin statement reported by Deutsche Welle and Russian state news agency TASS.

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that news of the announcement "has already spread widely," as reported by TASS. He also confirmed that Russia did not discuss the truce in advance with other parties to the Ukraine negotiations, saying "No" when asked whether the announcement was linked to a resumption of talks or had been discussed with the United States as mediator or with Ukraine.

Coverage Comparison

The announcement received coverage from both Deutsche Welle, which reports on Russia from a European perspective, and TASS, the Russian state news agency. While Deutsche Welle emphasized that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had called for an Easter ceasefire earlier this week, TASS articles focused on Russia's unilateral decision and the Kremlin's position that it seeks lasting peace rather than a temporary truce.

All sources reported that Russian troops have been instructed to stop fighting on all fronts, but remain prepared to repel enemy aggression. Deutsche Welle also noted that Moscow has consistently rejected longer ceasefire proposals from Ukraine or Washington, instead calling for a permanent end to the full-scale war.

Key Claims

Easter Truce Announced

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced an Easter truce from 4:00 p.m. Moscow time on April 11 until midnight on April 12, according to multiple TASS reports. The Kremlin's statement said the ceasefire was declared "in connection with the approaching Orthodox feast of Easter." Russian troops were instructed to cease hostilities on all fronts but to be ready to repel any enemy aggression, as per the Kremlin statement.

According to TASS, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later stated that Kyiv had agreed to a temporary truce. Deutsche Welle reported that Zelenskyy had called for an Easter ceasefire earlier this week, but noted that Kyiv had not yet commented on Putin's specific announcement at the time of its reporting.

No Prior Discussions

The Kremlin said Russia did not discuss the Easter truce with other parties in advance. Peskov told TASS that the announcement was not linked to the resumption of negotiations and had not been previously discussed with the United States, as a mediator, or with Ukraine. This claim is reported by a single outlet (TASS) and has not been independently verified.

Past Truces and Violations

The Kremlin said this will be the fourth truce since the start of what Russia calls its special military operation. Peskov told TASS that previous truces — declared for Christmas 2023, Easter 2025, and the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in May 2025 — were violated by Ukrainian troops, with the Christmas truce being ignored and the May ceasefire publicly rejected. Russia also proposed a two-to-three-day truce in June 2025 to evacuate the bodies of fallen soldiers, but Kyiv refused, according to TASS.

Deutsche Welle noted that both sides accused each other of violating previous ceasefires.

Perspectives

Kremlin Perspective

The Kremlin frames the Easter truce as part of Russia's broader pursuit of a "lasting and sustainable peace" rather than a temporary ceasefire. Peskov told TASS, "We do not want a ceasefire, we want peace, lasting and stable." Russian officials emphasize that previous truces were violated by Ukraine, and that Moscow has consistently rejected shorter-term ceasefire proposals.

Ukrainian Perspective

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had called for an Easter ceasefire earlier this week, according to Deutsche Welle. However, Kyiv's response to Putin's specific announcement was not reported by the sources available. Historical reports indicate that Ukraine has accused Russia of violating previous ceasefires.

International Observers

Deutsche Welle notes that efforts to end the war, now in its fifth year, have been unsuccessful, with Russia seeking territorial and political concessions that Zelenskyy has ruled out. The US under Trump has made efforts to mediate, but its attention in recent months has shifted to its own war on Iran, the outlet reports.