Putin Declares Unilateral Easter Ceasefire in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced a unilateral 30-hour Easter ceasefire in Ukraine, effective from 6 p.m. Moscow time on Saturday until midnight on Sunday night. Putin cited humanitarian considerations for the truce and urged Ukraine to reciprocate, while instructing Russian forces to be prepared to repel any violations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed the proposal, accusing Putin of using human lives for propaganda, as air raid sirens sounded in Kyiv shortly before the ceasefire was set to begin. The ceasefire coincides with a significant prisoner-of-war exchange between the two nations, facilitated by the United Arab Emirates. The United States has warned of abandoning peace talks unless both sides demonstrate readiness to halt the conflict .