“If Russia Stops, We Stop — If They Continue, So Will We,” Says President Zelensky
April 20, 2025 | Reuters Report
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday dismissed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s declared Easter ceasefire as a mere “facade,” stating that Russian forces continued to attack Ukraine’s front lines throughout Saturday night.
In a message shared on social media, Zelensky said:
“Generally speaking, on Easter morning, Russian forces are trying to create the illusion of a ceasefire, but in several areas, they are still attempting to carry out attacks and are putting Ukraine in danger.”
Putin had made a surprise announcement of a one-day ceasefire on Saturday evening, just before attending an Orthodox Easter service in Moscow. He had instructed his military to halt all front-line military operations from 6:00 p.m. (Moscow time) Saturday until midnight on Sunday.
Following the announcement, the United States warned that if peace talks failed to make progress, Washington could withdraw from the negotiation table within days.
Ceasefire in Name Only?
Zelensky stated that hundreds of artillery shells were fired after Putin’s ceasefire declaration. On Sunday morning, Ukraine’s military reported 59 shelling incidents and at least five attempted assaults by Russian forces overnight.
“Russia must fully comply with the conditions of a real ceasefire,” Zelensky emphasized.
The Ukrainian president reiterated that Ukraine remains ready to propose a 30-day ceasefire, but added that if Russia chooses to continue fighting, Ukraine will respond in kind.
“Ukraine will operate on a mirror principle — if Russia stops the war, we will stop too. But if they continue, so will we,” said President Zelensky.
