The White House is aiming to secure a comprehensive ceasefire agreement between Ukraine and Russia by 20 April – Easter Sunday in both Western and Orthodox churches – despite ongoing Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities and signs that Moscow is in no rush to finalize a deal, Bloomberg reports.
According to sources familiar with the planning, the White House acknowledges that this timeline could slip, given the significant differences between the two nations’ positions.
President Donald Trump, who pledged to resolve the three-year war quickly, told reporters on Friday: “I believe we’re going to pretty soon have a full ceasefire,” despite continued attacks following his Tuesday call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, where they agreed to limit strikes on energy infrastructure.
US officials are set to meet separately with Russian and Ukrainian representatives in Saudi Arabia in the coming days, marking the first such parallel negotiations since the early weeks of Russia’s 2022 invasion. The discussions will address the implementation and monitoring of the 30-day truce on energy site strikes that both presidents agreed to in separate calls with Trump last week.
Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy, expressed optimism on Fox News Sunday: “I think that you’re going to see in Saudi Arabia on Monday some real progress, particularly as it affects a Black Sea ceasefire on ships between both countries. And from that, you’ll gravitate naturally into a full-on shooting ceasefire.”
European officials worry that Trump’s desire for a diplomatic victory might lead to terms that sacrifice Ukraine’s interests, potentially leaving the country vulnerable to future Russian attacks. They believe Putin is stalling to extract more concessions from Trump while advancing on the battlefield.
“So far, Russia is imitating the negotiations, talking about a possible peace and possible ceasefire, but they are not even ready to keep the ceasefire as promised not to attack, not to strike critical infrastructure,” Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda told Bloomberg Television in Brussels.
Russia has intensified drone attacks on Ukrainian cities ahead of ceasefire talks. At least three people were killed in Kyiv early Sunday morning, including a five-year-old girl and her father, when drones struck high-rise apartment buildings.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for stronger measures against Russia on Sunday, stating: “New decisions and new pressure on Moscow are needed to bring an end to these strikes and this war.”
Despite the challenges, Witkoff expressed confidence in recent progress, telling Tucker Carlson: “We have made more progress in the last eight weeks than anyone thought we would ever make.”
Read more:
- Russian drone attack on Kyiv kills five-year-old girl, her father, injures her mother
- Ukraine found a way around “the grain deal.” Now the US and Russia want to revive it
- Putin outmaneuvers Trump in Ukraine ceasefire negotiations, experts say
