Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has outlined the country’s approach to potential violations of ceasefire conditions by Russia during the Easter period. He emphasized that while Ukraine intends to adhere to a ceasefire, it will respond in kind to any provocations.
In a message shared via Telegram on April 11, Zelensky stated, “Today we defined the parameters of our response to possible violations of the ceasefire conditions by the Russian army. We all understand who we are dealing with. Ukraine will adhere to the ceasefire and will act exclusively in a mirror-like manner. The absence of Russian strikes in the air, on land, and at sea will mean the absence of our responses. The Ukrainian army is prepared for any developments at the front.”
Zelensky reiterated that Ukraine has frequently proposed various ceasefire formats to Russia. He noted that an Easter ceasefire could serve as a starting point for genuine progress toward peace, adding that Kyiv has already made a corresponding proposal.
Additionally, the president discussed the operational protocols for Ukrainian forces during the ceasefire with General Oleksandr Syrskyi. He mentioned that information regarding the reciprocal nature of their actions and the possibility of extending the ceasefire beyond Easter has been communicated to the Russian side.
“We also conveyed information about the mirror nature of our actions and the potential continuation of the ceasefire after Easter to the Russian side,” Zelensky stated.
On March 30, during a press conference, Zelensky announced Ukraine’s readiness to establish a ceasefire with Russia for the Easter holidays. The following day, he indicated that Ukraine had proposed a ceasefire during this period and was awaiting a response.
In response, the Kremlin claimed that Zelensky’s comments regarding an Easter ceasefire lacked a clear proposal. They asserted that Moscow desires peace rather than a temporary halt to hostilities.
On April 2, Zelensky revealed that Ukraine had communicated its ceasefire proposal to the United States for the Easter period.
“We all saw in the media their (Russia’s) response: they seem to be unprepared for this. I do not know how serious this response is. We conveyed our request to the American side. I do not know if they will have the opportunity to relay another message to the ‘Russians’. We will see. Our proposal for a ceasefire during Easter remains,” the president said.
On April 8, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Georgiy Tikhiy confirmed Ukraine’s readiness for an Easter ceasefire.
“We confirm Ukraine’s readiness for an Easter ceasefire. It remains in effect. And for an energy ceasefire. If Russia halts its strikes, then Ukraine is ready to respond in kind,” he stated, adding that the Middle East has shown that such agreements can work, “even with regimes like the Iranian one.”
On April 9, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced an Easter ceasefire from 16:00 on April 11 until the end of the day on April 12. In response, Zelensky reiterated that Ukraine has repeatedly proposed a ceasefire and will act accordingly.
On April 19, Putin declared a new Easter ceasefire, ordering Russian troops to cease fire from 18:00 on April 19 until 00:00 on April 21. He added that the Russian army must be prepared to repel any potential violations of the ceasefire and provocations.
Zelensky described this as “an attempt to play with people’s lives,” while agreeing to fully cease fire if Russia does not violate the ceasefire. He reiterated that Ukraine would respond in kind to any attacks.
The U.S. State Department expressed a desire for the ceasefire to extend beyond Easter.
On April 20, Zelensky reported that Russia had violated the ceasefire 2,935 times on all major fronts during Easter, employing FPV drones and heavy weaponry. However, he noted that there were no air raid alerts on that day, suggesting that a form of silence had been achieved, which could be easily extended. Consequently, Ukraine proposed to refrain from any strikes with long-range drones and missiles against civilian infrastructure for at least 30 days, with the possibility of extension. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated later that day that Putin had not issued orders to extend the ceasefire.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has articulated the country's stance on potential ceasefire violations during Easter, emphasizing a reciprocal approach to any provocations from Russia. Despite ongoing tensions, Zelensky has expressed Ukraine's commitment to maintaining a ceasefire if Russia does the same, while also detailing the operational readiness of Ukrainian forces.