On Thursday, US President Donald Trump called for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, warning that the United States and its allies would impose additional sanctions if the truce is violated.
Ukraine has expressed readiness to accept a US proposal to enact an immediate 30-day ceasefire, while Russia has proposed only a three-day ceasefire to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two on Thursday.
Trump Promises To Be There If Needed
Trump said in a social media post: “If the (30-day) ceasefire is not respected, the US and its partners will impose further sanctions.”
“Hopefully, an acceptable ceasefire will be observed, and both Countries will be held accountable for respecting the sanctity of these direct negotiations,” Trump said.
“This ceasefire must ultimately build toward a Peace Agreement. It can all be done very quickly, and I will be available on a moment’s notice if my services are needed.”
Trump has said he wants to end the war in Ukraine, but his administration has also threatened to abandon its attempts to broker a deal if Russia and Ukraine do not make headway.
Ukraine Signals Readiness
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday he told Trump in a telephone call that Kyiv was ready for a 30-day ceasefire with Russia “starting this minute”.
The Ukrainian president said Russia had to demonstrate its readiness to end the war, starting with an unconditional ceasefire.
“Ukraine is ready for a full ceasefire starting right now, from this very moment — a 30-day silence. But it must be real. No missile or drone strikes, no hundreds of assaults on the front. The Russians must respond appropriately – by supporting the ceasefire. They must prove their willingness to end the war,” Zelenskyy posted on X.
“This isn’t the first time, we are offering this once again. Thirty days that could become the beginning of years of peace. A ceasefire, lasting and reliable, will be a real indicator of movement toward peace,” he said.
“America can help with this. The world needs America now just as it did eighty years ago,” the Ukrainian president added.
Ukraine’s foreign minister said on Thursday that Russia had repeatedly violated its own 3-day ceasefire hours after it began and called the initiative a “farce”, while Moscow said Kyiv had continued fighting.
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. It had annexed Crimea in 2014.
(With inputs from Reuters)
