Trump Warns, "No Further Mediation Efforts"
Putin Declares "Easter Ceasefire Starting Today (19th)"
Ukraine Counters with "30-Day Truce for Confidence-Building"
Russia unilaterally declared a "30-hour ceasefire" on the 19th (local time), just one day after a warning from the United States. Ukraine responded by proposing an extension of the ceasefire, arguing that Russia was ignoring the US-brokered truce.
According to major foreign media outlets including the Associated Press, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced during a meeting with Russian military Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov at the Kremlin that "Russia is declaring an Easter ceasefire from 6:00 p.m. today (Moscow time) until midnight on the 21st."
He added, "We expect the Ukrainian side to follow our example," and continued, "At the same time, our military must be prepared to respond to any violations of the ceasefire, enemy provocations, or any form of aggressive action."
President Putin's ceasefire order came just one day after US President Donald Trump issued a "warning" that the United States could withdraw from mediation. President Trump told reporters the previous day, "If one of the two parties (Russia or Ukraine) makes the situation very difficult, we will decline to make further mediation efforts." He added, "We hope that will not be necessary, and we want to see an end (to the war)."
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also pressured both Russia and Ukraine, stating after a meeting in Paris, France with European and Ukrainian officials on the same day that the United States could step back from its mediating role if there was no progress in peace talks.
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce evaluated the results of the Paris meeting positively, saying, "It shows that peace is possible if all parties commit to reaching an agreement." She added, "Now, the civilized world is watching to see if Russia is truly serious."
Ukraine responded skeptically to President Putin's announcement and counter-proposed an extension of the ceasefire.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated in a post on X (formerly Twitter) later that day, after the start of the ceasefire announced by President Putin, "If a complete ceasefire is maintained, Ukraine proposes to extend the truce beyond Easter, April 20."
He emphasized, "Thirty hours may be enough to make headlines, but it is not sufficient for genuine confidence-building measures," adding, "Thirty days would be an opportunity to attempt peace."
President Zelensky claimed, "According to the current report from the Commander-in-Chief, Russian offensive operations are continuing on some fronts, and shelling has not stopped."
He also pointed out, "Russia has not responded for 39 days to the proposal for a complete and unconditional 30-day ceasefire. The United States made this proposal, and Ukraine responded positively, but Russia ignored it."
He further stated, "If Russia is now truly ready to engage in a complete and unconditional ceasefire, Ukraine will act accordingly based on Russia's actions," emphasizing, "We will respond to silence with silence, and to attacks with defense."
Both sides also announced that, with mediation from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), they exchanged 246 prisoners of war each on this day.
In Ukraine's case, 31 additional prisoners in need of emergency medical treatment due to serious injuries were also returned, bringing the total number of repatriated prisoners to 277.
An additional 15 seriously wounded Russian prisoners were also returned, making the total number of prisoners exchanged by both sides that day 538. This is reported to be the largest exchange since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine at the end of February 2022.
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