US President Donald Trump’s remarks came as Russia and Ukraine accused each other of violating the Easter ceasefire agreement.
US President Donald Trump expressed hope on April 20 that Russia and Ukraine could reach a peace agreement in the coming days, while suggesting that the two countries should shift their focus to developing trade with the United States.
The statement came after Mr Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio both hinted that Washington could abandon its mediating role if there was no clear progress in the negotiations.
“Hopefully Russia [and] Ukraine will make a deal this week,” Trump wrote on the Truth Social platform on Sunday. “They will then both start doing big business with the USA – which is booming – and making a lot of money!”
A 30-hour ceasefire declared by Russian President Vladimir Putin for Easter ended on April 21. The Kremlin has confirmed that there are no plans to extend it, and both sides have accused the other of violating the agreement. The Russian Defense Ministry said it had recorded about 1,300 violations, including shelling and drone attacks.
Since taking office in January, Mr Trump has repeatedly stressed his desire to end the conflict “as soon as possible”. His team has engaged in a flurry of shuttle diplomacy, including calling for a 30-day ceasefire in attacks on energy infrastructure last month. However, both Moscow and Kiev have since accused each other of violating that commitment.
The US is aiming to “decide on a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire” in the next few days, according to the New York Post. A senior US official told the report last Friday that Washington is seeking to assess the positions of Russia and Ukraine through direct talks.
Secretary Rubio warned that Washington could end the mediation effort if talks break down. “We need to figure out right now, in the next couple of days, whether this is feasible,” he told reporters last Friday. “If not, I think we’ll stop.” He said there was only a “general framework” at the moment and declined to elaborate.
Mr Trump backed Mr Rubio’s statement, asserting that Washington wanted to see the conflict resolved and that “there is a good chance of resolving the problem”.
For its part, the Russian government has insisted that any peace deal must address the “root causes” of the conflict – including NATO’s eastward expansion and Ukraine’s ambitions to join the bloc. President Putin has also demanded that Kiev recognize Russia’s new borders – something Ukrainian leaders have so far refused to do.
Last month, Mr Putin declared that for a viable ceasefire to be achieved, the West must stop supplying weapons to Ukraine, and Kiev must withdraw its troops from territories claimed by Russia.
Speaking to reporters last Thursday, Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, said that a comprehensive ceasefire was “completely unrealistic” and accused the West of using the talks as a cover to rearm Ukraine.
