On Easter Sunday, something sad happened between Russia and Ukraine. Both countries promised to stop fighting for one day to celebrate Easter. But they didn’t keep that promise.
Russian President Vladimir Putin told his army to stop all fighting on Easter until midnight. He said it would be a time to pause the war and show respect for the special day.
But Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said Russia didn’t really stop. He said Russian soldiers still used big guns and attacked hundreds of times during the night and even on Easter morning.
Zelenskyy wrote on social media that Russia was pretending to be peaceful but was still fighting. He said it seems like Putin isn’t really in control of his soldiers—or maybe they never really wanted peace in the first place.
On the other side, Russia said it was Ukraine who broke the Easter truce. Russia’s army said Ukraine attacked more than 1,000 times and even used drones (small flying machines with cameras or bombs). They said these attacks hurt buildings and even hurt people.
Some reporters and bloggers said the fighting seemed to slow down, but there were still battles in many places.
The two countries have been at war since February 2022. Russia has taken over parts of Ukraine, including a place called Crimea. Ukraine wants those areas back and wants peace—but only if Russia stops attacking.
Even though the leaders talked about peace, nothing really changed. Both sides blamed each other, and the fighting didn’t stop.
Former US President Donald Trump has said he wants to help make peace between the two countries. He wants to be remembered as someone who helped stop wars. But he said that if things don’t get better soon, the US might stop trying to help with peace talks.
President Zelenskyy said that Ukraine was ready to stop fighting for 30 days, but only if Russia did the same. He also said that if Russia keeps fighting, Ukraine will too.
President Putin said his army should be ready to respond strongly if Ukraine breaks the peace again.
Even though it was Easter—a time when many people pray for peace and hope—this story reminds us that peace takes more than just promises. It takes real action and trust.
At the end of the day, President Zelenskyy stood in front of a church wearing a traditional shirt and told Ukrainians not to give up hope. He said, “We know what we are fighting for,” and reminded everyone that one day, peace can still come.
