Putin affirms termination of Easter treaty

(MENAFN) Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed the resumption of military action against Ukraine following the conclusion of a 30-hour Easter ceasefire. He also commented on Kiev's initial reaction to the ceasefire announcement, suggesting it reflected Ukraine’s stance on peace initiatives.

On Saturday, Putin declared a unilateral suspension of hostilities, instructing Russian troops to engage only in response to Ukrainian attacks. Reflecting on the ceasefire's end on Monday, Putin reiterated that Moscow was genuinely seeking peace, unlike Kiev. He noted that, unlike Russia’s positive approach to the ceasefire, Ukraine had dismissed the offer, with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky calling it a “play with lives.”

Putin remarked that, after some foreign advisers likely influenced Zelensky, Kiev quickly agreed to the ceasefire, though he noted that military reports indicated a reduction in hostilities but not a full cessation of violence.

The Russian leader also addressed Ukrainian complaints about long-range strikes on sites Ukraine claimed were civilian. Putin defended the strikes, stating that Ukrainian authorities were using civilian locations for military purposes. He specifically cited an incident in Sumy, where Russian forces targeted a university congress center, which, according to him, had been used by Ukrainian troops who had committed crimes in Russia's Kursk region.

In Putin’s view, Ukrainian military gatherings in civilian buildings were legitimate military targets.

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