Ukraine war briefing: First official ceasefire agreed after Zelenskyy push succeeds

Key Points:

• Ukraine and Russia are on the verge of their first official theatre-wide ceasefire since the February 2022 invasion, with a 32-hour truce set to begin Saturday afternoon to mark Orthodox Easter, following an offer from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and acceptance by Vladimir Putin.
• Zelenskyy emphasized Ukraine's readiness for reciprocal peace steps and expressed hope for an Easter free of threats, while the Kremlin framed the ceasefire as initiated by Russia but maintained military readiness against potential provocations.
• Previous ceasefires in the conflict have been unofficial, localized, or short-term, with Russia occasionally declaring unilateral truces, but this Easter ceasefire could represent a more comprehensive pause in hostilities.
• The ceasefire initiative appears to have minimal direct involvement from the US, despite Zelenskyy transmitting offers via the US, as Washington focuses on other conflicts; meanwhile, Russia faces economic pressure from Ukrainian strikes on its oil export infrastructure.
• Separately, Russia detained a former Radio Free Europe freelancer on treason charges related to cooperation with Ukraine, and security agents searched the offices of the independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta; meanwhile, the UK accused Russia of covert operations targeting undersea cables and pipelines, which Russia denies.