White House admits there will be no Ukraine ceasefire by Easter – The Telegraph
Photo: A ceasefire is unlikely to be reached by April 20 (Getty Images)
The White House has admitted that the Easter ceasefire in Ukraine, promised by US President Donald Trump, will not take place. Instead, frustration over the negotiation process is growing within his administration, The Telegraph reports.
According to the outlet, several White House officials have acknowledged that Trump will not be able to achieve a ceasefire in Ukraine by April 20.
Sources say the Trump administration is increasingly frustrated with the Kremlin’s delaying tactics. The White House is preparing to pressure both Moscow and Kyiv to push them toward a peace deal.
Failure to end the war would be a " significant blow" to Trump, who repeatedly claimed during his campaign that he could stop the fighting within 24 hours, The Telegraph adds.
While US officials have privately expressed dissatisfaction for weeks over Kyiv’s position in negotiations, its reluctance to sign a minerals deal with Washington and advance peace talks, recent days have seen growing frustration with Moscow, according to sources.
During a series of calls and meetings last weekend, White House and State Department officials admitted that Putin is actively resisting Washington’s efforts to secure a long-term agreement. As a result, they discussed potential economic and diplomatic sanctions against Moscow.
Ukraine-Russia ceasefire
Easter (April 20) had been repeatedly mentioned as a possible date for a full ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia. Earlier, Bloomberg reported that the US aimed to broker a truce between Russia and Ukraine by April 20, though the White House did not rule out possible delays.
So far, Russia has only agreed to an “energy ceasefire” with Ukraine, without additional conditions. Both countries pledged to stop strikes on energy infrastructure, but Russia has repeatedly violated this commitment.
Meanwhile, Russian leader Vladimir Putin has effectively refused a full ceasefire, setting conditions that could significantly weaken Ukraine.
Recently, Trump said in an interview that he is “angry” and “pissed off” with Putin over his claims about Zelenskyy’s alleged illegitimacy and delays in halting hostilities in Ukraine. He also threatened Putin with sanctions on Russian oil.
The White House stated that Trump is dissatisfied with both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian leader Vladimir Putin over their public statements about the war in Ukraine.
