Trump calls for a ceasefire as Vance hints at the new strategy
U.S. President Donald Trump once again called on Thursday for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire, threatening sanctions for not respecting the truce. He also announced that he would remain engaged in peace talks alongside Europeans.
"Talks with Russia/Ukraine continue. The U.S. calls for, ideally, a 30-day unconditional ceasefire," Trump wrote in a post on the Truth Social portal after a conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Hopefully, an acceptable ceasefire will be observed, and both Countries will be held accountable for respecting the sanctity of these direct negotiations. If the ceasefire is not respected, the U.S. and its partners will impose further sanctionss, he added.
Trump announced that as president, he would continue to be engaged in ensuring peace between Russia and Ukraine, along with Europeans.
"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," he declared.
Trump's statement came a day after Vice President J.D. Vance said during a conference in Washington that since Russia has deemed the 30-day truce proposal not in its "strategic interest," the U.S. wants to "move beyond the obsession with a 30-day ceasefire" and focus on what a long-term solution should look like.
Will the U.S. withdraw from mediation on the war?
Vance also assessed that Russia demands too much, which he repeated in a Thursday interview with Fox News, pointing to the desire to annex territories it does not control. Contrary to Trump's declarations, the vice president also threatened again that the U.S. might step back from mediation in the conflict if Russia does not negotiate in good faith.
On Thursday, there was a phone call between the U.S. and Ukrainian presidents, their first since their meeting at Pope Francis's funeral. The conversation took place shortly after the Ukrainian parliament ratified a resource agreement with the U.S. The call was at 3:00 PM Eastern Time.
