In a major development on Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a temporary halt to military operations in Ukraine, instructing the Russian army to observe a ceasefire until the end of the Easter holidays. The Kremlin confirmed the decision, signaling a significant, albeit brief, pause in the ongoing conflict.
This announcement follows a flurry of high-level diplomatic exchanges over the past week, raising expectations for a potential truce. Former U.S. President Donald Trump, currently engaged in behind-the-scenes negotiations, had reportedly told Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni that he was waiting for Putin’s response to a proposed ceasefire, suggesting confidence that the Russian leader would agree.
Sources close to the diplomatic talks indicate that Trump may have already received informal assurances from the Kremlin, hence his relaxed demeanor. These claims align with the Kremlin’s official confirmation on Saturday.
Simultaneously, efforts to establish a monitoring framework for the ceasefire are underway in Paris. The emerging U.S.-European-Ukrainian coordination involves several high-profile figures, including French President Emmanuel Macron, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump’s special advisor Steven Witkoff, French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné Barrot, Macron’s diplomatic aide Emmanuel Bonne, and UK national security advisor Tim Powell.
The Easter ceasefire could represent the first coordinated step in broader peace talks, though skepticism remains about its duration and effectiveness in reducing hostilities on the ground.
