Putin declares Easter weekend ceasefire in Ukraine
A look back at 9 April 2026, when Russia's president announced a weekend truce for Orthodox Easter, days after Kyiv signalled readiness for new talks.
What did a weekend ceasefire signal for the stalled peace effort? On 9 April 2026, Russian president Vladimir Putin declared a ceasefire in Ukraine for the weekend, timed to Orthodox Easter.
The announcement came five days after Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, on 4 April 2026, that Ukraine was willing to hold the next round of peace talks with Russia and the United States.
The positions behind the talks
The two leaders have set out very different aims for ending the war. Putin has sought recognition of all occupied land as Russian, the handover of regions Russia claims but does not fully occupy, guarantees that Ukraine will never join NATO, limits on Ukraine's military, and the lifting of sanctions on Russia. Zelenskyy has sought a ceasefire, the full withdrawal of Russian troops, the return of prisoners and kidnapped Ukrainian children, prosecution of Russian leaders for war crimes, and security guarantees against further aggression.
The Easter truce was limited to the weekend. Zelenskyy's earlier statement, meanwhile, left open the prospect of a further round of negotiations involving Russia, the United States and Ukraine.
