Moscow, April 19 (NationPress) Russian President Vladimir Putin announced an Easter ceasefire concerning the ongoing conflict in Ukraine on Saturday. This truce will commence at 18:00 Moscow time on April 19 and will last until 00:00 Moscow time on April 21, totaling 30 hours, as reported by Russian media.

This announcement followed a meeting with Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov.

Moscow expressed hopes that Kyiv would reciprocate by also halting hostilities.

“Ukraine's response will indicate its genuine interest and capability to engage in peace negotiations,” Putin remarked.

The Kremlin, citing Russian news agency Tass, asserted that the previous ceasefire regarding attacks on energy facilities, which was declared for 30 days starting March 18, was breached by the Ukrainian Armed Forces over 100 times. Consequently, Russian forces need to be prepared to counter any potential violations of the Easter ceasefire.

“I command that all military operations cease during this period. We expect the Ukrainian side to adhere to our example. Russian troops must be ready to counter any potential violations of the ceasefire and provocations from the enemy. We are aware that the Kyiv regime has breached the agreement concerning strikes on energy infrastructure more than 100 times, as you have reported to me,” Putin stated post-meeting with Gerasimov.

On Friday, following a phone call between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. President Donald Trump mentioned that he anticipates receiving Russia's response regarding a potential ceasefire in Ukraine over the weekend.

“We will be hearing from them very soon. I believe we are nearing a resolution, but we will update you shortly,” Trump informed reporters at the White House.

The Russian Foreign Ministry indicated that Lavrov reaffirmed Moscow's willingness to work collaboratively with American officials to thoroughly address the underlying issues of the Ukrainian crisis.

Secretary Rubio, while in Paris, briefed the Russian side about recent discussions he and U.S. President's Special Envoy Steve Witkoff had in the French capital.

“These discussions involved representatives from Ukraine, France, and several other European countries. It was highlighted that these interactions were consistent with ongoing talks between Washington and Moscow, including the recent dialogue between President Putin and Steve Witkoff in Saint Petersburg,” the statement read.

Meanwhile, Russia's envoy to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzya, stated that a ceasefire in Ukraine is currently “unrealistic”, as Kyiv has not adhered to the moratorium on targeting energy infrastructure.

“We attempted a limited ceasefire concerning energy infrastructure, which was not respected by the Ukrainian side. Given these circumstances, discussing a ceasefire now is simply unrealistic,” he informed reporters.