Putin’s “Easter Truce” Targets Trump and Pressures Ukraine via Church Influence

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recently declared 30-hour Easter ceasefire was not a genuine peace gesture but rather a political move aimed at gaining favor with Trump and leveraging U.S. diplomatic influence to pressure Ukraine, according to Dmytro Gromakov, a Ukrainian sociologist and communications expert at the International Center for Countering Russian Aggression, the Gaze reports citing FREEDOM.
Gromakov described the so-called truce as a “calculated maneuver” designed to build an argument that Putin is open to peace, while continuing aggression on the battlefield.
“Russia’s calculations are that they will achieve their goals not by military means, but through pressure from the United States… That is why Putin arranged this ‘truce’ — to get an argumentative basis for further conversations with Trump,” said Gromakov.
The sociologist also noted that the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) continues to act as a powerful instrument of Kremlin influence, both domestically and abroad. Closely tied to Russian intelligence services, including the FSB, the ROC plays a role in ideological propaganda and psychological operations.
The sociologist emphasized that the Russian Orthodox Church cannot feel safe in Ukraine under the pressure and influence of the special services. Accordingly, it conducts its activities covertly, and we need to pay attention to any little things.
Additionally, he stressed the importance of public awareness in identifying churches that may be transmitting pro-Russian narratives under the guise of religious doctrine.
As The Gaze previously reported, The Estonian parliament has passed a law that will sever ties between religious institutions in Estonia and foreign entities deemed a threat to national security — a move widely seen as targeting the Moscow-affiliated Orthodox Church.
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