Zelensky to Putin: ‘Stop Playing with Human Lives’ as Ceasefire Begins
In a surprising move, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a 30-hour Easter ceasefire in Ukraine, calling it a humanitarian gesture to mark the religious holiday.
Kyiv: In a surprising move, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a 30-hour Easter ceasefire in Ukraine, calling it a humanitarian gesture to mark the religious holiday. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded with strong skepticism, accusing the Kremlin of using the truce as a political tactic while continuing military aggression.
“As for yet another attempt by Putin to play with human lives — at this moment, air raid alerts are spreading across Ukraine,” Zelensky posted on X (formerly Twitter).
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Air Raid Sirens Ring Out as Ceasefire Begins
Putin’s ceasefire announcement came during a televised briefing with Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov, declaring that Russian forces would suspend combat from 6:00 PM Saturday to midnight Sunday. However, air raid sirens blared across Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, just as the truce was scheduled to take effect.
Ukraine has not officially confirmed whether it will adhere to the truce, with Zelensky and military officials expressing deep distrust in Moscow’s intentions.
Ukrainian Soldiers Call Ceasefire “Meaningless”
On the ground, skepticism among Ukrainian troops remains high. Dmitry, a 40-year-old Ukrainian soldier, dismissed the ceasefire as a hollow gesture.
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“These 30 hours will lead to nothing… The killings will continue,” he said.
“We don’t trust anything that comes from Moscow.”
Major Prisoner Swap Coincides With Truce
Despite the political tension, both sides engaged in a significant prisoner swap on Saturday, with 246 captured soldiers returned on each side. President Zelensky confirmed that the total number of Ukrainian POWs freed has now reached 4,552.
Putin Frames Ceasefire as Peace Gesture
Putin framed the temporary ceasefire as a test of Kyiv’s sincerity in pursuing future peace talks.
“This will show how sincere the Kyiv regime’s desire and ability are to observe agreements,” Putin said during his statement.
Ceasefires Around Religious Holidays Have Failed Before
This isn’t the first time a ceasefire has been proposed around a major religious occasion. Past truce attempts — including Easter 2022 and Orthodox Christmas 2023 — have collapsed due to mutual distrust and continued military operations.
Just a month ago, Ukraine accepted a 30-day ceasefire proposed by former U.S. President Donald Trump, which Russia rejected.
