When will Trump finally lose patience with Putin? Analyst responds

Fesenko noted that Ukrainians have long been waiting for a stronger reaction from Trump, especially after his comments about potential secondary sanctions against Russia. However, the expert believes that even after violations of the so-called energy ceasefire, Trump is unlikely to take decisive action immediately.

“Trump will issue warnings, make threats. There used to be an expression about Taiwan - 1,001 China's warnings. There were plenty of warnings back in the 1950s. Now we can count the number of warnings to Putin from Trump, and at what warning will his patience finally break, and there will be some sanctions or some manifestations of pressure on Russia,” Fesenko explained.

He believes such a shift is possible, but difficult to predict, as it largely depends on Trump’s psychological state and the level of his trust in Putin. According to Fesenko, cracks are beginning to appear in their relationship.

“I’ll cite a credible source — Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who recently met Trump for a round of golf. He said that during their game, Trump asked him whether Putin could be trusted. For us, and for many European politicians, that’s a ridiculous question. But Trump used to speak of trust, about sincere faith in Putin, that he sincerely wants an end to the war,” the analyst added.

Fesenko concluded that this growing doubt may be seen as the start of a shift.

“This is the beginning of the process. The ice is breaking - but how far, we don’t yet know. I think the next few weeks will be telling, both in terms of Russia’s response and Trump’s. That once-symbolic date everyone was focused on - April 20 - is already starting to lose its meaning,” he said.

Ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine

The date April 20 has been repeatedly mentioned as a possible target for a full ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia. Earlier, Bloomberg reported that the United States aimed to broker a truce agreement between the two countries by that date.

However, the White House has acknowledged that the timeline could shift.

Ukraine responded to Washington's optimistic outlook. International affairs expert Maksym Nesvitailov told RBC-Ukraine that, in theory, US President Donald Trump could secure a temporary ceasefire in Ukraine by April 20.

Still, he emphasized that achieving a lasting peace would require significantly more time.

Ukraine’s Presidential Office also weighed in on the feasibility of the proposed deadline.

Notably, President Stubb also suggested that Trump set a deadline for a ceasefire in Ukraine for 20 April.