Ukraine, Russia blame each other for breaking 30-hour Easter ceasefire

 

Ukraine and Russia have blamed each other for breaking a 30-hour Easter ceasefire, which ended last night. The truce was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who ordered a halt to fighting from Saturday evening to Sunday midnight. Ukraine agreed to observe it too. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia broke the truce nearly 3,000 times, with heavy shelling in the eastern city of Pokrovsk. He called the ceasefire a “PR stunt” by Putin and said Russia is the main reason the war continues.

 

Conversely, Russia said it followed the truce but had to defend itself from Ukrainian attacks. It accused Ukraine of using U.S.-supplied weapons during the ceasefire. The U.S. and the U.K. criticised the truce, calling it a fake gesture. The British government said Russia violated it and harmed civilians, while the U.S. said it’s running out of patience trying to help negotiate peace. US President Donald Trump expressed hope that a deal would be reached soon, but gave no details. Meanwhile, Ukraine proposed a longer 30-day halt to attacks on civilian infrastructure.

 

The war began in February 2022, and Russia currently controls about 20 per cent of Ukraine, including Crimea. Thousands have died or been injured on both sides.