Russia to halt “all military operations” under “Easter truce” in Ukraine, Kremlin announces on Holy Saturday.

The temporary ceasefire will last from 6:00 PM today (Moscow and Greek time) until midnight on Sunday, April 20.

“Our forces must be ready to repel possible violations of the truce and provocations by the enemy, any aggressive actions,” the Kremlin’s statement adds. Moscow says the Ukrainian side should “follow our example.”

Kyiv has yet to respond to the proposal.

Bloomberg: Trump Ready to Recognize the Occupation of Crimea

The U.S. is ready to recognize Russian control over the Ukrainian region of Crimea as part of a broader peace agreement between Moscow and Kyiv, Bloomberg reported earlier on Saturday, citing individuals familiar with the matter.

This potential concession is the latest sign that President Donald Trump is seeking to establish a ceasefire agreement. It comes as both he and Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated on Friday that the administration is prepared to withdraw from peace efforts unless swift progress is made.

Crimea was seized by the Kremlin in 2014 following an invasion and subsequent referendum conducted under occupation. The international community has resisted recognizing the peninsula as Russian in order to avoid legitimizing the illegal annexation.

Such a move carries the risk of undermining international laws and treaties that prohibit the acquisition of territory by force.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly stated that he will not cede any land to Moscow. However, this move would be a major win for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has long sought international recognition of Russian sovereignty over Crimea. So far, Putin has declined to agree to Trump’s proposal for a broader peace deal.

The same sources said no final decision has been made yet. The White House and the State Department did not respond to a request for comment. A U.S. official familiar with the negotiations, when asked about the potential recognition of Crimea, declined to discuss the details of the talks.

The U.S. presented proposals to its allies in Paris on Thursday aimed at enabling a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, including a framework of terms for ending the conflict and easing sanctions on Moscow in the event of a lasting ceasefire, Bloomberg reported earlier.

The proposal would, in broad terms, freeze the front line, leaving most other Ukrainian territories currently occupied by Russia effectively under Moscow’s control, the sources said. Kyiv’s aspirations to join NATO would also be off the table.