By Deutsche Welle
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday that Ukraine is ready for a truce during Orthodox Easterafter Russian President Vladimir Putin decided to announce a ceasefire for April 11 and 12.
“Ukraine has repeatedly said that we are ready to take reciprocal steps. “We proposed a ceasefire for the Easter festivities and we will act accordingly,” Zelensky declared in a message on his Telegram account.
“People need an Easter without threats and genuine progress towards peace, and Russia has a chance not to return to attacks after Easter,” he added.
Ukraine has many times mentioned that we are ready for symmetrical steps. We proposed a ceasefire accurate for the Easter holidays this year and can just act accordingly. Folk need an Easter free from threats and genuine circulate toward peace, and Russia has a likelihood no longer to attain attend to strikes…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) April 9, 2026
The Ukrainian head of state reacted like this after Putin decided this Thursday to declare a truce in the war with Ukraine on the occasion of the upcoming Orthodox Easter.
“A ceasefire is declared from 4:00 p.m. (1:00 p.m. GMT) on April 11 until the end of April 12, 2026,” according to an official statement.
The note added that the Russian military command was instructed to cease hostilities on all fronts during that period.
However, the statement indicated that the troops will be “prepared to counter any possible provocation or aggressive action by the enemy.”
Putin announces ceasefire
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a cessation of hostilities with Ukraine during the Orthodox Easter this weekend, the Kremlin said Thursday.
Earlier this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had transmitted a holiday truce proposal through the United States, whose government has led talks to end the four-year conflict.
The ceasefire will apply “from 04:00 pm (GMT) on April 11 until the end of April 12, 2026,” the Kremlin said in a statement.
