by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
KYIV/MOSCOW/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a temporary ceasefire in Ukraine during Orthodox Easter, raising cautious hopes for a brief pause in fighting, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused the United States of ignoring evidence of Moscow’s military cooperation with Iran.
The Kremlin said the truce is set to begin Saturday at 15:00 Dutch time and will last until the end of Sunday, coinciding with Orthodox Easter celebrations observed across Russia and Ukraine.
Kyiv had earlier proposed a similar Easter ceasefire last month, but it was not immediately clear whether Ukraine would reciprocate and halt its military operations.
Previous attempts at Easter truces have largely failed. Last year, Ukraine said Russian forces continued attacks despite a declared ceasefire. Moscow also announced a unilateral truce around Russia’s Victory Day on May 9, which Ukraine rejected, insisting on a longer ceasefire of at least 30 days.
PAST CEASEFIRES RAISE DOUBTS
Analysts say the latest announcement is likely to be met with skepticism, given the history of limited compliance and ongoing hostilities along the front lines.
The development comes as broader geopolitical tensions remain high, with Kyiv warning of deepening cooperation between Russia and Iran in conflicts beyond Ukraine.
Zelenskyy said the United States is overlooking what he described as “convincing evidence” that Russia is assisting Iran in targeting American bases and allies in the Middle East.
Speaking in an interview with British journalist Alastair Campbell for the podcast The Rest is Politics, Zelenskyy claimed Russian military satellites had gathered intelligence on critical energy infrastructure in Gulf states, Israel, and U.S. bases in the region.
He alleged that Moscow passed this intelligence to Tehran to support attacks.
CLAIMS OF RUSSIA–IRAN COOPERATION
“I said this publicly. Have we heard a response from the U.S. telling Russia to stop?” Zelenskyy said. “The problem is that they trust Putin. And that is unfortunate.”
Zelenskyy also pointed to reports, including by The Washington Post and The Jerusalem Post, suggesting Russia has provided intelligence and potentially military support to Iran.
According to those reports, Russia allegedly shared detailed information about Israel’s critical energy infrastructure and has supplied drones to Iran.
Zelenskyy warned that such cooperation could further destabilize the Middle East and pose risks to U.S. and allied interests.
The remarks add to growing concerns among Western officials about closer ties between Moscow and Tehran amid ongoing conflicts.
PRESSURE OVER DONBAS
The Ukrainian leader also criticized U.S. negotiators linked to President Donald J. Trump, including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, saying they spent too much time engaging with Putin.
He suggested Washington is pressuring Kyiv to cede the Donbas region in exchange for a potential ceasefire, warning that Russia would not stop its aggression even if it secured the territory.
Zelenskyy added that he believes he understands Putin’s “psychology and war objectives” better than officials in the White House.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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