Moscow/kyiv: Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a temporary ceasefire in the ongoing conflict with Ukraine on Saturday, coinciding with the Easter holiday. The truce, described as an “Easter truce”, is set to begin at 6:00 p.m. Moscow time (1500 GMT) and will last until midnight on Sunday (2100 GMT), according to remarks made by Putin during a televised address alongside Russian Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov.
“Today from 1800 (1500 GMT) to midnight Sunday (2100 GMT Sunday), the Russian side announces an Easter truce,” Putin stated.
VIDEO | Russian President Vladimir Putin (@KremlinRussia) announces Easter ceasefire.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 19, 2025
(Source: Third Party)#Russia pic.twitter.com/n2pJp2i1Gw
In a significant development accompanying the truce, Russia and Ukraine executed their largest prisoner exchange since the war began. Russia’s Ministry of Defense reported the return of 246 Russian service members from Ukrainian-controlled territory. As part of the exchange, 31 wounded Ukrainian prisoners of war were released in return for 15 wounded Russian soldiers in urgent need of medical attention.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the swap in a public statement:
“277 Ukrainian warriors have returned home from Russian captivity,” Zelensky said.
The announcement comes at a time of growing international pressure to achieve a ceasefire and initiate meaningful peace negotiations. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking in Paris after discussions with European and Ukrainian leaders, signaled mounting impatience in Washington over stalled diplomatic efforts.
“We’re not going to continue with this endeavour for weeks and months on end,” Rubio said.
“So we need to determine very quickly now, and I’m talking about a matter of days whether or not this is doable in the next few weeks. If it is, we’re in. If it’s not, then we have other priorities to focus on as well,” he added.
Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the war has evolved into the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II. Fueled by disputes over NATO expansion, Ukraine’s pivot toward the West, and Russia’s claims to historical influence in the region, the war has resulted in extensive devastation, mass displacement, and an enduring global political divide.
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Despite several rounds of early peace talks in Belarus and Turkey, negotiations have repeatedly stalled over fundamental issues such as territorial sovereignty, security assurances, and Ukraine’s potential neutrality. Subsequent mediation efforts by Turkey, China, and the United Nations have produced only limited breakthroughs.
Occasional humanitarian measures—such as temporary ceasefires, prisoner swaps, and grain export deals like the UN-Turkey-brokered Black Sea Grain Initiative—have offered brief moments of relief, but have failed to lay the foundation for lasting peace.
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With both Russia and Ukraine entrenched in their positions—Ukraine demanding complete restoration of its territory and Russia maintaining control over occupied regions—the prospect of a negotiated settlement remains distant, despite renewed diplomatic urgencies.
