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cease-fire

international law
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News •

Middle East Crisis: U.S. Vetoes U.N. Resolution Calling for a Cease-Fire in Gaza (Published 2024) • May 24, 2025, 6:20 AM ET (New York Times)
Trump Backs Off His Demand That Russia Declare a Cease-Fire in Ukraine • May 20, 2025, 4:50 PM ET (New York Times)

cease-fire, a total cessation of armed hostilities, regulated by the same general principles as those governing armistice. In contemporary diplomatic usage the term implies that the belligerents are too far apart in their negotiating positions to permit the conclusion of a formal armistice agreement. See also armistice.