French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Tuesday that the Easter ceasefire proclaimed by Russian President Vladimir Putin was a "marketing operation" amid negotiations with the United States, "a charm offensive aimed at preventing President Trump from becoming impatient and angry." However, he noted a decrease in the use of drones and long-range missiles over the Easter weekend, despite numerous truce violations reported by Ukraine.
Barrot did not comment on US President Donald Trump's statement expressing hope that Russia and Ukraine will "make a deal" this week. Instead, he stressed that the Ukrainian government has proposed a 30-day ceasefire "for the tenth time" and that it is up to Putin to accept it. He added that negotiations between the US, Ukraine and European delegations will continue in London on Wednesday.
