Donald Trump wants Russia and Ukraine to agree a ceasefire by Easter Sunday, following the ‘peace talks’ that continued yesterday.
When Will Ukraine And Russia Agree on Ceasefire Deal?
The religious festival falls on the same date in the Western and Orthodox church calendars this year, adding to the significance of the date.
That means the US has just under a month to achieve a truce before Sunday, April 20. The timetable was revealed as negotiations began again yesterday in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh.
It also followed a night of intense Russian bombing of Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities.
The dead included a five-year-old and the wounded an 11-month-old baby.
The Peace Talk Updates
Since peace talks began Russia has appeared intent on dragging out the process and yesterday was no different. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov predicted that negotiations would prove ‘difficult’.
Ukraine’s defence minister Rustem Umerov said yesterday they were ‘working through complex technical issues. Our delegation includes energy experts as well as military representatives.’
The next stage is expected to centre on safe passage for vessels through the Black Sea.
In Riyadh, US officials will meet separately with Russian and Ukrainian representatives over the next few days. Discussions are expected to include how to monitor a 30-day truce on strikes against energy sites that was agreed last week.
This comes after leading British political figures pronounced the end of the Special Relationship between the US and the UK.
