Following Putin's declaration of an Easter truce, skepticism abounds among Ukrainians regarding his true intentions. Many believe this ceasefire aims to maintain goodwill with Trump, rather than genuinely halting hostilities. After Russia's previous demands for extended ceasefires, this pause appears strategic: an effort to gain favor while still pursuing territorial expansion. Effective monitoring of the ceasefire over a lengthy front is seen as highly challenging, raising concerns that any violations could be framed by Putin to restart the conflict under his narrative.
There is huge skepticism here in Ukraine about Putin's motives in calling this pause in fighting. Most people you talk to... are convinced that is merely about Putin wanting to keep Trump onside, rather than ending hostilities.
After weeks in which Russia kept adding new demands before agreeing to any longer ceasefire, this looks a lot like an attempt to win goodwill without giving up on the goal of occupying more Ukrainian land.
Even if this ceasefire is extended beyond Easter Sunday, monitoring its enforcement effectively along over 1,000 kilometers of front-lines... will be near impossible.
Many Ukrainians will tell you that they expect Putin to claim Ukraine has broken the truce and restart the fighting whenever it suits him.
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