Putin announces Easter ceasefire in Ukraine conflict

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday declared a unilateral Easter truce for the ongoing conflict with Ukraine.

The Russian army will stop all fighting during a 30-hour period from 18:00 on Saturday to midnight Sunday, Putin said in a televised meeting with Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov.

Claiming the Russian forces are advancing across the entire front, Putin said the ceasefire was introduced on humanitarian grounds.

Putin said he assumed the Ukrainian side would follow Russia's example, but told Gerasimov to ready the troops to repel possible violations of the truce by Ukraine, including provocations and other aggressive actions.

The Russian ceasefire will test Kiev's sincerity in pursuing a ceasefire, ability to abide by a ceasefire, and willingness and ability to participate in peace talks and eliminate the original causes of the Ukraine crisis, Putin said.

During the meeting, Gerasimov said Russian troops had retaken 1,260 square kilometers, or 99.5 percent of territory seized by Ukraine in the Kursk region.

The Ukrainian side has yet to respond to the ceasefire declaration.

Putin announces Easter ceasefire in Ukraine conflict

Putin announces Easter ceasefire in Ukraine conflict

Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng said on Monday that China welcomes foreign enterprises including Warburg Pincus and long-term capital to continue expanding their investment in China and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation with China.

He, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks when meeting with former U.S. Secretary of Treasury Timothy Geithner, now chairman of Warburg Pincus.

The vice premier said that China is fully implementing the guiding principles of the fourth plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, in accordance with the suggestions and arrangements of the 15th Five-Year Plan, and advancing the building of a unified national market, unswervingly expanding high-level opening-up and promoting high-quality economic development.

For his part, Geithner said that he is optimistic about the prospects of China's economic development, and Warburg Pincus is willing to continue to deepen its presence in the Chinese market and promote the deepening of economic and trade cooperation between the United States and China.

China welcomes foreign enterprises, long-term capital to continue expanding investment in China: vice premier