Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday announced an Easter truce in the war with Ukraine starting this evening and lasting till midnight on Sunday, reported news agency AFP.
"Today from 1800 (1500 GMT) to midnight Sunday (2100 GMT Sunday), the Russian side announces an Easter truce," Putin said in televised comments, while speaking to Russian chief of staff Valery Gerasimov . Both nations also swapped hundreds of prisoners in the largest exchange since the war.
Russia’s ministry of defense said that 246 Russian service members were returned from territory controlled by Kyiv, and that “as a gesture of goodwill” 31 wounded Ukrainian prisoners of war were transferred in exchange for 15 wounded Russian soldiers in need of urgent medical care.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr said that 277 Ukrainian "warriors have returned home from Russian captivity."
Putin's announcement comes a day after US secretary of state Marco Rubio warned that Washington could walk away from its push to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine within days, unless progress becomes visible soon.
Speaking in Paris after high-level discussions with European and Ukrainian leaders, Rubio said the Trump administration was assessing whether the effort remains viable. “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.
The Russia-Ukraine war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, has become Europe’s largest military conflict since World War II. Rooted in longstanding tensions over Nato expansion, Ukraine’s growing ties with the West, and Russia’s desire to assert control over what it considers its historical sphere of influence, the conflict has led to widespread destruction, civilian casualties, and a deepening global geopolitical divide.
While initial rounds of peace talks were held in the early months of the war, including meetings in Belarus and Turkey, they failed to produce lasting outcomes, largely due to disagreements over territorial sovereignty, security guarantees, and Russia’s demands regarding Ukraine’s neutrality. International efforts, including mediation attempts by Turkey, China, and the United Nations, have made limited progress amid continued hostilities.
Occasional humanitarian ceasefires, prisoner exchanges, and grain export agreements—such as the Black Sea Grain Initiative brokered by the UN and Turkey—have provided temporary relief but not a path to comprehensive peace. As of now, both sides remain entrenched, with Ukraine demanding full territorial restoration and Russia holding on to occupied regions, making a negotiated resolution elusive.
"Today from 1800 (1500 GMT) to midnight Sunday (2100 GMT Sunday), the Russian side announces an Easter truce," Putin said in televised comments, while speaking to Russian chief of staff Valery Gerasimov . Both nations also swapped hundreds of prisoners in the largest exchange since the war.
Russia’s ministry of defense said that 246 Russian service members were returned from territory controlled by Kyiv, and that “as a gesture of goodwill” 31 wounded Ukrainian prisoners of war were transferred in exchange for 15 wounded Russian soldiers in need of urgent medical care.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr said that 277 Ukrainian "warriors have returned home from Russian captivity."
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
Putin's announcement comes a day after US secretary of state Marco Rubio warned that Washington could walk away from its push to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine within days, unless progress becomes visible soon.
Speaking in Paris after high-level discussions with European and Ukrainian leaders, Rubio said the Trump administration was assessing whether the effort remains viable. “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.
The Russia-Ukraine war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, has become Europe’s largest military conflict since World War II. Rooted in longstanding tensions over Nato expansion, Ukraine’s growing ties with the West, and Russia’s desire to assert control over what it considers its historical sphere of influence, the conflict has led to widespread destruction, civilian casualties, and a deepening global geopolitical divide.
While initial rounds of peace talks were held in the early months of the war, including meetings in Belarus and Turkey, they failed to produce lasting outcomes, largely due to disagreements over territorial sovereignty, security guarantees, and Russia’s demands regarding Ukraine’s neutrality. International efforts, including mediation attempts by Turkey, China, and the United Nations, have made limited progress amid continued hostilities.
Occasional humanitarian ceasefires, prisoner exchanges, and grain export agreements—such as the Black Sea Grain Initiative brokered by the UN and Turkey—have provided temporary relief but not a path to comprehensive peace. As of now, both sides remain entrenched, with Ukraine demanding full territorial restoration and Russia holding on to occupied regions, making a negotiated resolution elusive.
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