Easter Truce or Tactical Move?

Iruni Kalupahana, JadeTimes Staff

I. Kalupahana is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Russia-Ukraine war

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Image Source: Vincenzo Circosta/Anadolu

Putin Declares Easter Truce Surprise in Face of Ongoing War

Russian President Vladimir Putin declared an Easter surprise truce from Saturday at 18:00 through to midnight Sunday, citing humanitarian reasons. The ceasefire, said to be revealed in public in a televised address to Russia's top military brass, was put forth as an act of goodwill with Putin expressing hopes that the Ukrainian side will do the same. But he also instructed the armed forces to remain prepared to respond to any violations.

Zelenskyy: 'Air Raid Alerts Tell the Truth'

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine dismissed the gesture within minutes, describing it as "another attempt by Putin to play with human lives." He ensured that air raid alarms and Shahed drones' flyover of Ukrainian airspace eliminated any genuine efforts at a ceasefire. Later, Zelenskyy informed that Ukraine would be ready to comply if Russia was serious, even going on to propose an extended Easter truce.

Mutual Ceasefire Terms

The Russian Defence Ministry announced on Telegram that the ceasefire would be honored only if Kyiv reacted. The Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha responded skeptically, saying that the promise of Putin was not trustworthy. He pointed out that Ukraine had earlier agreed to a US backed 30 days ceasefire in March, but it had been turned down by Russia, and therefore the new 30 hours offer seemed insufficient.

History of Broken Ceasefires

Previous attempts to observe Easter ceasefires in 2022 and Orthodox Christmas ceasefires in 2023 also failed because of mutual suspicion and allegations of non-adherence. Last month, following a 30 days ad interim suspension of Ukrainian energy infrastructure attacks following a telephonic interaction with Donald Trump, Russia had refused to commit to a complete ceasefire, putting the credibility of current efforts to question marks.

Violations Continue Despite Ceasefire Talk

On Saturday, Russia fired eight missiles and 87 drones at Ukrainian targets, according to reports. The air force of Ukraine reported that they intercepted or deflected most of the drones but did confirm damage in several regions. These events highlight the paradox between Putin's declaration of a truce and ongoing military action.

Analysts Connect Truce to Political Strategy

Ukrainian Prism's Hanna Shelest felt that the Kremlin declaration of ceasefire could be linked to political comments of recent nature from the US, particularly Trump. She, according to her, believes Russia is looking at the existing US government as a softer target for its campaign and is seeking to influence the views of the international community with such acts.

In a rare display of cooperation, both parties arranged a prisoner exchange on Saturday when 246 individuals were exchanged by each nation. Zelenskyy had confirmed that 277 Ukrainian servicemen were repatriated and appreciated the mediation of the UAE in effecting the exchange. The Russian POWs were reportedly taken to Belarus for medical and psychological treatment. Ukraine has since 2022 recovered over 4,500 personnel and civilians.