During a meeting with the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, Valery Gerasimov, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a ceasefire for Easter, as reported by Ria Novosti. “Based on humanitarian considerations, the Russian side declares an Easter ceasefire today from 6:00 PM (5:00 PM Italian time) until midnight on Sunday (11:00 PM Italian time). I order the cessation of all military actions during this period,” declared the Russian President.
Putin urged Kiev to follow Moscow’s example and adhere to the Easter ceasefire. “We expect that the Ukrainian side will follow our example,” he said during a meeting with Chief of Staff, Valery Gerasimov, after announcing the ceasefire. However, Putin emphasized that Russian troops must be prepared for possible violations of the ceasefire by Kiev.
The reaction of Kiev to the ceasefire announced by Russia will show how much Ukraine desires and is capable of resolving the conflict peacefully, said the Russian President as quoted by Moscow agencies. Putin added that Russia remains open to negotiations and “welcomes” the peace efforts of US President Donald Trump, as well as Chinese President Xi Jinping, other BRICS countries, and “all supporters of a just and peaceful resolution to the Ukrainian crisis.”
Prisoner Exchange between Moscow and Kiev, 246 Released on Each Side
Today, Russia and Ukraine conducted a prisoner exchange resulting in the release of 246 military personnel on each side, as reported by the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Moscow Reclaims Over 99% of Occupied Territories in Kursk
Russia claims to have reclaimed over 99% of the territory occupied by the Ukrainian army in the border region of Kursk, the target of Kiev’s offensive in the summer of 2024. “The majority of the territory in the region where the invasion took place has been liberated. This amounts to 1,260 square kilometers, equivalent to 99.5% of the region’s territory,” said Russian Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov addressing President Vladimir Putin.
Kiev Denies: ‘Not True That We Agree 90% with Trump’s Proposal’
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense has denied reports claiming that Kiev agrees “90%” with Trump’s peace plan presented in Paris, as reported by the New York Post citing US sources. In a statement to Sky News, the Ukrainian ministry stated that they do not make political decisions and therefore cannot provide “percentage evaluations.”
“We have different principles: we supported the US proposal for a complete ceasefire on March 11, while Russia did not support the US ceasefire proposal and continues to strike Ukrainian cities and infrastructure daily,” read the statement from the Ukrainian ministry. “In these conditions, it is unclear how one can discuss or measure ‘percentages’ of progress in any dialogue.” “Our key question – the statement continued – is how to ensure that the ceasefire proposal can work and be reliably monitored. We remain in constructive dialogue with our American partners and are fully committed to ending this war.”
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