Putin's one -sided fire break: trust Kiev in Russia's words?

Putin's one -sided fire break: trust Kiev in Russia's words?

Kiew, Ukraine - On April 19, 2025, Wladimir Putin announced a one-sided fire break of 30 hours in the Ukraine conflict, which should apply from Saturday at 6:00 p.m. Moscow time until midnight on Easter Sunday. This announcement triggered skepticism in Kyiv and a rocket alarm was triggered. The Kremlin made it clear that the ceasefire only applies if the Ukrainian armed forces adhere to it. President Wolodymyr Selenskyj quickly expressed doubts about Putin's intentions and left open whether Ukraine was willing to meet the fire break.

Selenskyj also reported air alarm and the sighting of Russian fight drones just 45 minutes before the start of the fire break, which caused the Ukrainian air defense to open the fire. Foreign Minister Andrij Sybiha emphasized that Putin's words could not be trusted and that acts were crucial. Experts in Ukrainian media regard the announcement as a propaganda trick.

The background of the conflicts

The situation in the Ukraine conflict has a long and complex history. The conflict began in 2014 with the annexation of the Crimea by Russia and the subsequent escalation in Donbas. Putin had intensified the war in September 2022 with partial mobilization and threats with nuclear weapons and explained the annexation of the Ukrainian areas of Luhansk, Donetsk, Saporischschja and Cherson. Negotiations on a solution to the conflict were made more difficult by military developments and political circumstances.

Putin had already arranged a one -sided fire break for the Orthodox Christmas, which Kiev considered a fint. Observers warn against Putin's current announcement seriously, since he could possibly blame Ukraine for potential injuries to the fire break. The US mediators had previously agreed that no attacks on the energy infrastructure should take place, but Russia accused Ukraine of not complying with this.

international reactions and diplomatic efforts

President Donald Trump hopes to strengthen his favor from conflict parties through the current situation, while at the same time demanding a willingness to compromise on both sides. This happens against the background that the Trump government has increased the pressure on the parties to the conflict. Foreign Minister Marco Rubio announced that the United States will soon decide whether its mediation efforts would continue to be useful.

The potential changes in US politics could significantly influence the dynamics of the conflict. During Joe Biden's presidency, the United States was the most important supporter of Ukraine, but Trump had portrayed the war as quickly terminable to make significant progress. According to observers, the possibility of a peaceful solution depends heavily on the military situation and on the relationship between the parties to the conflict.

The geopolitical tensions are still high and the view of a diplomatic solution remains uncertain. Observers only see hope for progress when Russia can no longer win militarily, which further increases the complexity of the situation.

For a more comprehensive analysis of the Ukraine conflict and the international reactions, we refer to the reports of OE24 href = "https://www.swp-berlin.org/10.18449/2022a66/"> swp .