Trump wants a Ukraine ceasefire by Easter, but does Putin?

In a bid to end the three-year-long war in Ukraine, US President Donald Trump is pushing for a ceasefire agreement by Easter (April 20), with American officials holding parallel negotiations in Riyadh with both Russian and Ukrainian representatives. This marks the first simultaneous talks since the early days of Moscow’s invasion.

Originally intended to facilitate shuttle diplomacy, where US negotiators would mediate between the warring sides in real-time, the talks were separated after Russia and Ukraine presented conflicting proposals for a temporary truce. Despite ongoing discussions, fighting continues unabated, and the US hopes these negotiations will lead to a much-needed breakthrough.

Trump aims to secure ceasefire deal by Easter

According to reports, the White House is attempting to reach a comprehensive truce in Russia’s conflict in Ukraine by April 20, which is Easter in both the Orthodox and Western churches this year.  However, considering the significant difference between Kyiv’s and Moscow’s stances, a Bloomberg report suggests that the deadline might slide.

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US President Donald Trump has been seeking a rapid settlement to the three-year-old war, and US officials are having separate meetings with Russian and Ukrainian representatives in Riyadh, the first such negotiations since the early weeks of Moscow’s invasion.

The negotiations were initially planned to take place simultaneously to allow for shuttle diplomacy, but with both warring parties presenting conflicting ideas for a temporary truce, attacks have continued unabated. The US hopes that the back-and-forth between the delegations will lead to a breakthrough.

Russia has issued maximalist demands for any potential agreement, including a halt to arms shipments to Ukraine—terms that Kyiv and its allies have firmly rejected. Meanwhile, the White House, which temporarily paused critical weapons deliveries earlier this month to increase leverage on Ukraine, has not agreed to impose any restrictions so far.

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Ukraine, US conclude ‘productive’ talks

Rustem Umerov, the Ukrainian defence minister, led the Ukrainian team in a meeting with the Americans that concluded late on Sunday night.

“The discussion was productive and focused – we addressed key points including energy,” Umerov posted on social media, adding that Ukraine was striving to achieve its objective of a “just and lasting peace.”

Ukraine had earlier stated that plans to safeguard vital infrastructure and energy facilities would be discussed.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that “Russia is the only one who is dragging this war out” during an evening speech.

Additionally, Zelenskyy called on his Ukraine’s allies to exert more pressure on Russia.

“New decisions and new pressure on Moscow are needed to bring an end to these strikes and this war,” he posted on social media on Sunday.

US-Russia talks today

Discussions between the United States and Russia were scheduled on Monday.

In the midst of this, US envoy Steve Witkoff expressed confidence that any agreement reached would pave the door for a “full-on” ceasefire.

“I think 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 naturally gravitate to a full-on shooting ceasefire,” he told Fox News.

However, the Kremlin dampened hopes for a quick conclusion on Sunday, stating that negotiations were only getting started.  “We are only at the beginning of this path,” said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Russian state television.

He stated that there were numerous open concerns about how a prospective ceasefire might be implemented.

Meanwhile, war continues

Both sides launched fresh drone attacks on the eve of the negotiations. Ukrainian officials said a Russian drone attack killed three civilians in Kyiv, including a five-year-old girl and her father.

Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 147 drones at the country in the latest barrage.

Russia meanwhile said it had repelled nearly 60 Ukrainian drones overnight. Officials said one man was killed in the southern Rostov region of Russia when his car was set alight by falling drone debris, and a woman was killed in the Belgorod border region, also by a drone attack.

Ukraine’s army, meanwhile, said it had captured a small village in its eastern Lugansk region, a rare battlefield success for Kyiv’s struggling forces.

With inputs from agencies