Russian leader Vladimir Putin did not give the order to extend the "Easter ceasfire" after 00:00 on April 21.
This was reported by the Russian propaganda media TASS, citing the spokesman for the Russian leader Dmitrii Peskov.
The Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha noted that despite a slight decrease in combat activity on April 19-20, the Russian army continues to attack the positions of the Armed Forces.
"Ukraine is responding appropriately and responsibly, and we are reciprocating both the fire where it arises and the silence where it persists," says Sybiha.
He said that Russiaʼs actions after midnight on April 21 and throughout the week would show Moscowʼs true attitude toward US peace efforts and the proposal for a 30-day complete ceasefire.
"They will demonstrate whether Russia is serious about peace, or whether Putinʼs statements yesterday were simply manipulation," the head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry is convinced.
The day before, Volodymyr Zelensky said that if the Kremlin is now ready to join the format of complete and unconditional silence, Ukraine will act in a mirror image — as it will be on the Russian side.
"If complete silence really prevails, Ukraine proposes to extend it beyond the Easter period on April 20," the president emphasized.
Ceasefire negotiations
Washington is negotiating with Russia and Ukraine to end the war, but a true ceasefire is still in sight. Kyiv has already agreed to halt hostilities in the Black Sea and not attack Russian energy facilities during a 30-day truce. Moscow, in return, has only promised not to attack energy facilities and said it would implement the Black Sea agreements only after Western sanctions are lifted.
The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged that Russia is violating the partial ceasefire and warned the Russians against dragging out the peace process. The US President Donald Trump had previously promised to impose tough sanctions against Russia in such a case, but has not yet done so.
On April 17, a Ukrainian delegation met with the Americans in Paris. According to Bloomberg, the American side presented the allies with a proposal for a settlement in Ukraine, which includes conditions for the cessation of hostilities and the easing of sanctions against the Russian Federation. This proposal will effectively freeze the war, and the Ukrainian territories currently occupied by Russia will remain under Moscowʼs control, the publicationʼs sources say.
The publication also wrote that the US is ready to recognize Crimea as Russian as part of a future peace agreement. At the same time, Zelensky constantly notes that Ukraine will not recognize any of its occupied territories as Russian — these are red lines. The president said on April 17 that Ukraine is discussing a ceasefire with the US, but without the issue of territories.
Rubio said after meeting with allies in Paris that the United States could end its mediation efforts in Ukraine in a matter of days if it does not see clear signs of a peace deal. Trump echoed his words the same day.
Already on April 19, Russian leader Vladimir Putin announced an “Easter ceasfire” from 18:00 on April 19 to 00:00 on April 21. According to him, during this time the Russian army will cease all hostilities. However, this is not the first alleged truce that Russia has declared, and it never adheres to them. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called Putin’s words “another attempt to play with people’s lives”.
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