In a bid to establish a broad ceasefire in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the United States remains optimistic that an agreement can be reached within weeks. However, as both sides continue their military operations, indications suggest that the Kremlin is not rushing to finalize a deal ahead of upcoming talks.
The White House is targeting April 20 for a potential truce agreement, coinciding with Easter celebrations in both the Western and Orthodox Christian traditions. Despite this hopeful timeline, officials acknowledge that it may be challenging to meet due to significant differences in the positions held by Russia and Ukraine. Sources familiar with the situation, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, highlighted the complexities involved in the negotiations.
President Donald Trump, who has long pledged to expedite a resolution to the three-year-old conflict, has seen limited progress thus far. In the coming days, U.S. officials are set to engage in separate discussions with representatives from both Russia and Ukraine in Saudi Arabia—the first such parallel negotiations since the early days of Russia’s invasion.
“I believe we’re going to pretty soon have a full ceasefire,” Trump stated to reporters on Friday when questioned about ongoing attacks, despite a recent agreement aimed at limiting strikes on energy infrastructure following a conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
On Saturday, Trump expressed confidence that efforts to prevent further escalation of the war were “somewhat under control,” emphasizing his “good” relationships with both Russian and Ukrainian leaders.
The forthcoming talks in Saudi Arabia will focus on the technical aspects of implementing and monitoring a 30-day ceasefire on strikes against energy sites—an agreement reached by the Russian and Ukrainian presidents during separate phone calls with Trump last week. Additionally, discussions will explore the possibility of extending the ceasefire to include shipping activities in the Black Sea.
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