Russian President Vladimir Putin today announced a 30-hour unilateral ceasefire in Ukraine.
In a meeting in the Kremlin with the chief of the Russian General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, Putin said that the ceasefire would begin on Saturday at 18:00 Moscow time and end on Sunday at 24:00.
“For humanitarian reasons, the Russian side today declares a ceasefire on Easter. I am ordering the suspension of all military operations for this period,” he said.
Putin emphasized his expectation that the opposite side will participate in this initiative, stating that the success or failure of the ceasefire will show Ukraine’s willingness and ability to seek a peaceful solution to the conflict.
“Russian troops must be ready to repel possible ceasefire violations and provocations by the enemy,” he said.
“The previous 30-day moratorium on military attacks on energy infrastructure demonstrated a clear absence of Kiev’s inclination to find a solution through peaceful negotiations,” he said, adding that Ukrainian forces had violated it more than 100 times.
