Russia and Ukraine to hold 32-hour ceasefire for Orthodox Easter

Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy have said their countries will hold a 32-hour ceasefire over the Orthodox Easter weekend.

The Ukrainian leader said earlier this week that he had proposed the move via the US.

There was no immediate response - but on Thursday President Putin agreed to a temporary truce from 4pm on Saturday until the end of Sunday.

A Kremlin statement said hostilities would pause "in all directions" but "troops are to be prepared to counter any possible provocations by the enemy".

"We assume that the Ukrainian side will follow the example of the Russian Federation," it added.

President Zelenskyy said on the Telegram app that Ukraine would "act accordingly" and honour the deal.

"People need ⁠an Easter ​without threats and ​a real move towards ​peace, and Russia ⁠has a chance not ⁠to return to ​attacks even after Easter," he said.

Orthodox Christianity, which follows the older Julian calendar, is the main religion in both countries and this year Easter falls on 12 April.

Russia unilaterally declared a ceasefire last Easter, but both sides accused each other of breaking it - while a permanent end to the war, now in its fifth year, remains elusive.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian news agency TASS this weekend's temporary ceasefire didn't mean peace talks were about to resume.

Russia continues regular aerial attacks on Ukraine's cities and energy infrastructure and the frontline in the east is at a virtual standstill due to the constant threat of drone attacks.

US-led talks over the past year or so have made no meaningful progress on key issues, such as the land in the Donbas region coveted by Russia under a permanent truce.

For now, the focus of Western leaders is also on resolving the fighting in the Middle East.

President Zelenskyy said his country faced a tough few months while the US concentrates its efforts elsewhere.

"This spring-summer period will be quite difficult politically and diplomatically. There may be pressure on Ukraine," he said in comments released by his office on Friday.

"There will also be pressure on the battlefield," he added. "I believe it will be very difficult for us until September."

Mr Zelenskyy said he hoped the two-week ceasefire in the Iran war would mean US sanctions on Russian oil - paused temporarily to help global supplies - would be reinstated.

Ukraine has stepped up attacks on Russian energy facilities in recent weeks to try to limit the Kremlin's sudden windfall from increased oil sales.

"Russians now have major problems with some of their facilities," said President Zelenskyy. "After any ⁠strike on our energy sector, we respond - and that is entirely fair.

"If ​Russians want this to stop, they must stop their strikes, and then we ​will act in kind."

Mr Zelenskyy added that Ukraine's partners (he did not name them) had asked him to scale back those attacks.

However, he said if Russia wanted a respite, then trilateral talks on ending the war should resume within the next three months.

(c) Sky News 2026: Russia and Ukraine to hold 32-hour ceasefire for Orthodox Easter