Trump hopes for Russia-Ukraine peace deal as truce ends
U.S. President Donald Trump expressed hope for an agreement between Russia and Ukraine this week. His social media post appeared just before the conclusion of the "Easter truce" declared by Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
What do you need to know?
- Donald Trump published a series of posts on the Truth Social platform, in which he expressed hope for an agreement between Russia and Ukraine this week.
- The Easter truce declared by Vladimir Putin was meant to end at 5:00 PM ET.
- Volodymyr Zelensky proposed extending the ceasefire beyond Easter.
Will Russia and Ukraine reach an agreement this week?
President Trump expressed optimism that Russia and Ukraine might reach an agreement this week. His posts on the Truth Social platform appeared shortly before the "Easter truce" declared by Vladimir Putin was set to conclude.
Trump emphasized that both countries could start vying for significant business opportunities with the United States, which are currently thriving.
"Hopefully russia amd ukraine will make a deal this week. Both will then start to do big business with the united states of america, which is thriving, and make a fortune!" he wrote, without providing any details.
What are the reactions to the end of the Easter truce?
A representative of the U.S. Department of State commented on the early end of the ceasefire. "We have seen President Putin's announcement of a temporary ceasefire due to Easter. We remain committed to achieving a full and comprehensive ceasefire. As we assess their seriousness in this instance, we would welcome it extending beyond Sunday," the spokesperson conveyed.
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, took a similar position, proposing an extension of the ceasefire.
Fighting continued during the truce
The Russian Ministry of Defense accused Ukraine of violating the conditions of the Easter truce. According to Russia, Ukrainian armed forces shelled Russian positions 444 times and carried out 900 drone attacks. Russians claim these actions resulted in civilian casualties and injuries.
The Ukrainian armed forces strongly deny Russia's allegations. They assert that their actions are merely responses to Russian attacks that began shortly after Putin declared the truce.
Putin announced on Saturday an Easter truce in the war with Ukraine, which, according to his statements, was to be in effect for 30 hours—from 11:00 AM Eastern Time on Saturday to 5:00 PM on Sunday. Shortly after the indicated start time of the truce, Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Ukrainian government's Center for Combating Disinformation, reported that Russian forces continued to attack Ukrainian positions.
