Putin’s Easter pseudo-ceasefire was a publicity stunt to woo Trump, France says

Russia’s Easter truce with Ukraine was a “charm operation” to appeal to United States President Donald Trump, France’s top diplomat said Tuesday.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot told broadcaster FranceInfo that the temporary ceasefire, which Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Saturday — and which Kyiv accused Moscow of breaking immediately and repeatedly — was only for appearances.

“The Easter truce that he announced somewhat unexpectedly was a marketing operation, a charm operation aimed at preventing President Trump from becoming impatient and angry,” Barrot told FranceInfo.

As Trump’s push for a negotiated peace between Russia and Ukraine has stalled, the U.S. president has become increasingly frustrated, going as far as to say he is “pissed off” at Putin, while slamming Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Moscow rejected Ukraine’s proposal for a full ceasefire, issuing a long list of delaying questions and conditions, and repeatedly violated an agreed-upon pact to not strike Ukraine’s infrastructure for 30 days.