As Easter dawned with hopes of peace, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky voiced what many on the front lines already felt — that the so-called ceasefire declared by Russia was more performance than peace.
In a heartfelt message shared on social media early Sunday morning, Zelensky said that while Russian President Vladimir Putin had publicly called for a temporary halt in fighting, Russian forces continued to press forward in several regions, leaving Ukrainian troops to defend under the shadow of ongoing violence.
“On this Easter morning, it may look like Russia is trying to present an image of calm, but the reality on the ground tells a different story,” Zelensky shared. “They have not stopped trying to cause damage and advance.”
Putin’s ceasefire announcement came late Saturday, just hours before he attended an Orthodox Easter service. The declaration called for a pause in fighting from 6 p.m. Saturday to midnight Sunday — a symbolic gesture that followed mounting international pressure, including a U.S. warning that peace talks could be abandoned unless both sides demonstrated genuine commitment.
But according to Zelensky, the hours following Putin’s announcement were anything but peaceful. He reported hundreds of shelling incidents Saturday night alone, and by early Sunday, Ukrainian forces had logged 59 additional shellings and five direct assault attempts along the front line.
“Russia must fully honor the silence it promised,” Zelensky said, adding that Ukraine had offered to extend the ceasefire for 30 days — a move to give civilians and soldiers alike a brief respite.
However, he made it clear: Ukraine would not turn the other cheek if Russia continued to violate the truce. “If they fight on Sunday, Ukraine will respond in kind,” he affirmed. “We will mirror every action. Peace isn’t just words — it must be real.”
The Easter season is one of reflection and hope. But for those on the front lines in Ukraine, hope remains intertwined with vigilance, as the promise of peace remains painfully fragile.
