Putin then accused the Western defensive alliance, Nato, of trying to gain a foothold in Ukraine to bring its troops closer to Russia's borders. As he responded to Putin's truce announcement, Zelensky urged Russia to commit to a 30-day ceasefire rather than a 30-hour pause.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin attended an Easter service in Moscow on April 20, just hours after the Kremlin declared a temporary ceasefire on the Easter weekend, ordering a halt to all military action from 6 p.

Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a brief Easter ceasefire in his war with Ukraine, a declaration met with skepticism in Kyiv as the war enters a crucial phase and US-led negotiations stall.