Trump expects Russia’s response on Ukraine ceasefire this week

Trump expects Russia’s response on Ukraine ceasefire this week

U.S. President Donald Trump said he expects a response from Russia on a potential Ukraine ceasefire over the weekend, following a call between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

“We’re going to be hearing from them this week, very shortly, actually. I think we’re getting close, but we’ll let you know very soon,” Trump told reporters at the White House.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Lavrov reaffirmed Moscow’s readiness to work collaboratively with the United States to address the underlying causes of the Ukraine conflict.

Secretary Rubio, currently in Paris, informed the Russian side of recent discussions involving Ukraine, France, and other European nations. These talks, he said, align with broader consultations between Washington and Moscow, including a recent meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff in Saint Petersburg.

However, Russia’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzya, cast doubt on a near-term ceasefire, citing continued Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy infrastructure.

“A limited ceasefire on energy targets was attempted but not honored by Ukraine. Under such conditions, a broader ceasefire is unrealistic,” Nebenzya stated.

On March 18, Trump had proposed a 30-day halt on attacks targeting energy infrastructure. Putin accepted the idea and issued orders to the Russian military. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also expressed support for the proposal.

Despite this, Russia claims that Ukraine launched strikes on energy facilities in 15 regions between March 18 and April 16, including in Belgorod, Bryansk, Crimea, and the Donetsk and Luhansk areas, using drones and artillery systems such as HIMARS.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed on Friday that Ukraine continues to violate the moratorium, according to Russian news agency TASS.

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