President Zelensky accuses Russia of breaching a proposed Easter truce, despite Russia's claims of adherence, contingent upon mutual respect. This follows Russia's abandonment of a moratorium on striking Ukrainian energy targets.
Previous truce attempts for Easter 2022 and Orthodox Christmas 2023 failed due to a lack of agreement. Donald Trump's efforts to broker a truce have yielded no significant concessions from the Kremlin.
Experts like Richard Kemp suggest Putin aims to manipulate the narrative, portraying Zelensky as the aggressor to appease Trump and claim a negotiating victory. Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines express deep distrust, anticipating continued fighting despite the proposed ceasefire.
The UK Foreign Office urges Russia to uphold a full ceasefire, not just a temporary pause, to enable peace talks. They condemn Russia's bombing of Ukrainian cities and call for Putin to demonstrate a commitment to peace by ending the invasion.