France, April 22 -- France has responded with marked scepticism to Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent call for an Easter truce in Ukraine, branding it a superficial gesture aimed more at appeasing Washington than paving the way for genuine peace.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot has dismissed Putin's Easter ceasefire in Ukraine as a "marketing operation" designed to keep US President Donald Trump onside, as peace talks continue to falter.

Speaking to FranceInfo radio on Tuesday, Barrot said the so-called truce was a "charm operation" intended to prevent Trump from growing "impatient and angry".

The truce, hastily declared and swiftly violated with fresh Russian aerial assaults, has only deepened European doubts about Mos...