(ANSA-AFP) - MOSCOW, 19 APR - Russian President Vladimir
Putin on Saturday announced an Easter truce in the conflict in
Ukraine starting this evening and lasting till midnight on
Sunday. The short-term ceasefire proposal from Russia comes as
President Donald Trump has been pressing both Moscow and Kyiv to
agree a truce, but has failed to extract any major concessions
from the Kremlin.
"Today from 1800 (1500 GMT) to midnight Sunday (2100 GMT
Sunday), the Russian side announces an Easter truce," Putin said
in televised comments, while meeting Russian chief of staff
Valery Gerasimov. Easter, a major holiday for Christians, is
celebrated on Sunday. "I order for this period to stop all
military action," Putin said, calling the truce "based on
humanitarian reasons". "We are going on the basis that the
Ukrainian side will follow our example, while our troops must be
ready to resist possible breaches of the truce and provocations
by the enemy, any aggressive actions," Putin said. (ANSA-AFP).
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
