Putin declares Easter truce in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared a unilateral 30-hour Easter ceasefire in Ukraine.

According to a news agency, Russia is expected to cease hostilities from 16:00 BST on Saturday (18:00 local time) until 22:00 BST on 20 April (midnight Moscow time). 

The announcement came after Washington said it could abandon peace talks within days unless the Moscow and Kyiv show they are ready to stop the war.

Volodymyr Zelensky is yet to respond, but the Kremlin says that it expects Ukraine to follow its example. 

There is no indication whether Putin’s Easter truce will lead to a negotiation on a longer period of peace.