Putin’s "Easter ceasefire" may be aimed at calming Trump. Ukraine could be blamed for violating a ’gesture of goodwill - CNN
The sudden and completely unilateral and demonstrative"Easter truce" announced by Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is likely to harm the peaceful settlement in Ukraine rather than support it.
This conclusion was shared by CNN analyst Nick Peyton Walsh, Censor.NET reports citing ZN.ua.
He notes that Putin announced the ceasefire only a few hours after US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that in the coming days they would need an urgent sign that the Kremlin was serious about peace.
So formally, Putin has given that sign. In reality, with this step, he can achieve several goals that are not about peace at once.
He is likely to use the ceasefire to demonstrate that Kyiv does not want the war to end. It will be difficult for Ukrainians to support Putin's initiative, even from a purely technical standpoint. CNN says that Putin's sudden cessation of hostilities would be a logistical nightmare for Ukrainian forces. Some frontline positions could be caught in the middle of fierce fighting, and the suspension could require days of preparation.
It is unclear how the ceasefire will be enforced, how to respond to violations, and even what to do when it ends.
There is a high probability that both sides of the conflict will use violations and confusion to show that their opponent cannot be trusted.
A true truce, CNN emphasizes, requires negotiations with the enemy and preparations to ensure that it takes hold. The sudden ceasefire initiative seems to be entirely aimed at appeasing the White House's demands and will contribute to Trump's pro-Moscow interpretation of the conflict. Ukraine could be accused of violating what Washington would likely see as a gesture of goodwill on Moscow's part.
The day before, on April 19, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin allegedly announced an Easter truce that would be in effect from 6 p.m. Moscow time on April 19 until zero hours on April 21.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin's announcement of the so-called Easter truce by saying that it was another of Putin's attempts to play with people's lives.
