CNN paused for breaking news as Putin releases bombshell update on Ukraine war

US news programme CNN paused its usual programming to bring a Vladimir Putin.

The politician made the announcement at a meeting with Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov, according to Russian state media reports.

"Guided by humanitarian considerations, today from 18:00 to 00:00 from Sunday to Monday, the Russian side declares an Easter truce. I order all military actions to cease for this period," he said.

Although Kyiv has not yet issued a response, Moscow says it assumes "will follow our example". It added: "At the same time, our troops must be ready to repel possible violations of the truce and provocations from the enemy, any of its aggressive actions."

An Easter truce was previously issued in 2022 but it never materialised. , who had launched the full-scale invasion of just months earlier, refused the truce "in order not to give the Kyiv nationalists a break".

The temporary truce was proposed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres by 's deputy permanent representative to the UN Dmitry Polyansky labelled the proposal as "insincere". He added that it would "give Ukrainian soldiers more time to regroup and receive weapons".

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