US wants Ukraine ceasefire by Easter, but Kremlin is in no hurry

Trump wants a truce agreement in Russia's war against Ukraine by Easter, photo: White House

The administration of US President Donald Trump is seeking to conclude a ceasefire agreement in Russia's war against Ukraine by 20 April, when Easter is celebrated. However, the White House acknowledges that this timetable could change due to significant disagreements between the parties.

According to Bloomberg, US officials will meet separately with Russian and Ukrainian representatives in Saudi Arabia in the coming days. These will be the first parallel talks between the US, Russia and Ukraine since the invasion.

Donald Trump, who promised to resolve the war quickly, said he expects «a full ceasefire soon enough». At the same time, the Kremlin has put forward tough demands, including the cessation of arms supplies to Ukraine. Kyiv and its allies categorically reject such conditions.

European officials fear that Donald Trump's desire for diplomatic success could force him to make concessions to Russia, leaving Ukraine vulnerable to new attacks. According to their estimates, Vladimir Putin is dragging out the negotiations to gain more benefits - both at the diplomatic level and on the battlefield.

As a reminder, today, 23 March, negotiations on the proposed 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine will take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. US Presidential Special Envoy Steve Witkoff did not specify whether Ukraine would participate in the talks, saying only that the US delegation would be led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Volz.

Earlier, the White House said that the peace talks would also begin with technical discussions on the implementation of a naval truce in the Black Sea. In addition, negotiations on a naval truce will begin in the Middle East in the near future.