Trump urges Russia-Ukraine truce as Easter ceasefire ends
The United States 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" announced by Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
What do you need to know?
- Donald Trump published a series of posts on the Truth Social platform, expressing hope for a reached agreement between Russia and Ukraine this week.
- The Easter truce, announced by Vladimir Putin, was supposed to end at 10:00 PM GMT.
- Volodymyr Zelensky proposed extending the ceasefire beyond Easter.
Will Russia and Ukraine reach an agreement this week?
The United States President, Donald Trump, expressed hope that Russia and Ukraine will reach an agreement this week. His posts on the Truth Social platform appeared just before the conclusion of the "Easter truce" announced by Vladimir Putin.
Trump emphasised that both countries can begin competing for significant business opportunities with the United States, which is 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 ceasefire's scheduled end. "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.
A similar stance was taken by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who proposed extending the ceasefire.
Fighting continued during the truce
The Russian Ministry of Defence accused Ukraine of violating the conditions of the Easter truce. According to Russia, the Ukrainian armed forces attacked Russian positions 444 times and conducted 900 drone assaults. The Russians claim that these activities have resulted in civilian casualties and injuries.
The Ukrainian armed forces strongly refute Russia's accusations. They claim their actions were merely responses to Russian attacks, which began just after Putin announced the truce.
Putin announced the Easter truce in the conflict with Ukraine on Saturday, which, according to his statement, was to last for 30 hours - from 3:00 PM GMT on Saturday to 10:00 PM on Sunday. Shortly after the truce was supposed to begin, the head of the Ukrainian governmental Center for Countering Disinformation, Andriy Kovalenko, reported that Russian forces continued attacking Ukrainian positions.
