President Vladimir Putin said Russia is open to any peace initiatives and called on Ukraine to show the same willingness on Monday.
The Russian president said Russia is "always positive about a ceasefire" when answering a question about the Easter truce from the media, according to a post on the Kremlin website.
The truce, which lasted for 30 hours from 18:00 Moscow time (1500 GMT) on Saturday to 00:00 on Monday (2100 GMT on Sunday), was announced by Putin during a meeting with Russian Chief of the General Staff, Army General Valery Gerasimov. Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of violating the now-expired Easter truce.
"We have always said that we treat any peace initiative positively. We hope that the representatives of the Kiev regime will treat this the same way," Putin said to the press.
The Russian president in the meantime noted that Ukraine is now "trying to steal the thunder and start talking about expanding the framework both in terms of time and targets," adding that Russia will first "think and carefully evaluate everything and see the results."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for extending the ceasefire on Saturday, saying 30 hours are not enough for "real confidence-building measures."
Ukraine maintains its proposal not to strike at the very least civilian targets, Zelensky said Monday, noting that Ukraine is ready for "any conversation" and expects a clear response from Moscow.
Putin says Russia "always positive about a ceasefire"
Putin says Russia "always positive about a ceasefire"
Putin says Russia "always positive about a ceasefire"
The Iranian government is focusing on public concerns and maintaining stable supplies of essential goods amid recent protests, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a televised interview on Sunday.
In the city of Karaj, northwest of the capital Tehran, daily life has largely continued as normal. A video filmed by a local resident on Sunday shows food stores open and grocery shelves fully stocked.
"This is the block near my home, and there are some food stores here. Daily life continues here. Last night we did not see many protests in Karaj. Right now the city is very safe. This is a grocery store close to my home. All the food is available; nothing is in shortage. Here are noodles and different types of beans. Here are dairy products, cheese, and yogurt. I also checked other grocery stores and didn't see any shortages. Everything is available," said local resident Ali Reza.
Iranian officials have described recent disturbances as acts orchestrated by the "enemy," including some carried out by well-trained and armed "terrorists." The incidents have caused casualties among security personnel and civilians, as well as property damage.
The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani has directed authorities to severely punish the "terrorists."
Meanwhile, Iran's police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan said on Sunday that the police had raised alert levels and arrested several leaders of the troublemakers during the operations on Saturday.
President Pezeshkian noted in the interview that the normal demands of the Iranian people are reasonable and justified, but they must realize that triggering riots and carrying out terrorist acts are the enemy's attempts to undermine the country. He urged the public to remain vigilant.
Also on Sunday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned that Tehran would regard U.S. and Israeli bases and facilities in the Middle East as "legitimate targets" if Washington takes military action against Iran. His remarks followed media reports saying U.S. President Donald Trump is "seriously considering authorizing a strike" against Iran.
Iranian state media reported that at least 109 members of Iran's security forces have been killed in clashes since the protests began 14 days ago. Meanwhile, human rights groups based outside the country said the number of protesters killed has exceeded 200, though the figure could not be independently verified.
The protests initially erupted over a sharp depreciation of the rial and sweeping subsidy reforms. Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on foreign-linked agents and sanctions imposed by the United States.
Iranian president says government focusing on ensuring supplies amid protests
