Donald Trump presses Russia on ceasefire: ‘Putin to decide by end of month’

The US president made his position clear, pointing to the end of April for an agreement on the conflict in Ukraine. Negotiations intensify with special envoy Steve Witkoff

Donald Trump’s patience with Russia has a limit. The US president has set a deadline of the end of April for the conclusion of ceasefire negotiations in Ukraine. The visit of special envoy Steve Witkoff to St Petersburg acquires decisive importance, as Trump himself pointed out in a post on Truth Social. ‘Russia must move. Too many people are dying. A war that should never have happened,’ Trump wrote, renewing his criticism of Joe Biden’s administration.

According to American sources, by this deadline, Washington expects the Kremlin to make a decision on the ceasefire. Witkoff, in fact, is in charge of directly delivering the ultimatum to Vladimir Putin during the ongoing meeting in St. Petersburg.

New sanctions in case of refusal

Should Putin not accept the proposal, the US is ready to introduce new sanctions against Russia in an attempt to break a stalemate that continues to yield no concrete results. Despite numerous diplomatic meetings in recent weeks, including talks in Istanbul and Washington, no viable solutions have emerged.

Russia’s position and Zelensky’s pressure

The Russian president’s spokesman, Dmitri Peskov, anticipated that Putin and Witkoff would discuss ‘as long as necessary’. According to reports, the meeting in St. Petersburg could be an opportunity to agree on a date and place for a direct meeting between Trump and Putin, which, it is expected, could be crucial in shaping future developments.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated his position, emphasising that Russia is solely responsible for the conflict. His statement comes in the exact month since Russia rejected the US proposal for a complete and unconditional ceasefire. Zelensky also criticised the ambiguities of Moscow, which continues to participate in negotiations while intensifying attacks on the ground.

Lavrov and the Russian strategy

The Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, clarified Moscow’s strategy, stating that, according to him, Zelensky will have to accept the loss of the territories conquered by Russian forces in order to end the conflict. With this position, Moscow is trying to exert strong pressure on Ukraine and its allies, seeking to gain maximum advantage on the ground before any negotiations.

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(Photo: © AndKronos)