On the 20th, the U.S. State Department expressed support for extending the temporary Easter ceasefire in Ukraine beyond its original timeframe. A spokesperson for the department, Tammy Bruce, stated in an email to Reuters, “Given their sincerity in this action (the ceasefire), we would welcome an extension of the ceasefire beyond Sunday (the 20th).” Bruce also affirmed that the U.S. had confirmed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s declaration of the temporary ceasefire and reiterated the U.S. commitment to pursuing a full and comprehensive cessation of hostilities.
President Putin had declared a 30-hour Easter ceasefire from 6 p.m. on the 19th to midnight on the 21st, Moscow time. This declaration came shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump expressed frustration on the 18th over the lack of progress in ceasefire and armistice negotiations. In a strongly worded message, Trump warned that he might consider withdrawing from mediation efforts if no advancements were made.
Following Putin’s announcement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also called for an extension of the ceasefire to continue beyond Easter, emphasizing the need for sustained peace. The U.S. response on the 20th appeared to support Ukraine’s call for prolonging the ceasefire as the deadline for Russia’s temporary truce approached.
However, the prospect of an extension was swiftly shut down by the Kremlin. Russian Presidential Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that there were no new orders from Putin to continue the ceasefire, confirming that the truce would conclude at midnight as initially planned.