White House still hopes to reach full truce in Ukraine war by 20 April, Bloomberg says

The United States remains hopeful that a broad truce in Russia's war in Ukraine can be achieved within weeks, despite the Kremlin's reluctance to expedite the process.

Source: Bloomberg, citing sources familiar with the matter, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The White House is aiming for a ceasefire agreement by 20 April, coinciding with Easter this year, but recognises that this timeline may be disrupted due to significant differences between the positions of the two sides, according to sources familiar with the plans. These individuals requested anonymity to discuss confidential matters.

US President Donald Trump had pledged to swiftly resolve the three-year war before taking office, but progress has been slow. In the coming days, US officials will hold separate meetings with Russian and Ukrainian representatives in Saudi Arabia, marking the first such parallel talks since the early days of the Russian invasion.

"I believe we’re going to pretty soon have a full ceasefire," Trump told reporters on Friday, responding to a question about the ongoing attacks despite a deal to limit strikes on energy infrastructure that he announced after a phone call with Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Tuesday.

Trump said on Saturday 22 March that efforts to keep the Russia-Ukraine war from escalating were "somewhat" under control.

Russia has presented maximalist demands for any deal, including a halt to arms shipments to Ukraine, a stance that Kyiv and its allies have firmly rejected. The White House, which briefly suspended vital weapons shipments earlier this month to apply pressure on Ukraine, has not yet agreed to any restrictions, according to the sources.

"We are working for a ceasefire and a lasting peace. We won’t have the terms of discussions or timing be played out in the media," said White House spokesman Brian Hughes.

European officials are concerned that Trump's pursuit of a diplomatic victory could result in him compromising Ukraine's interests by agreeing to terms that would leave the country vulnerable to future Russian attacks. They argue that Putin is simply stalling for time, aiming to secure further concessions from Trump and gain more success on the battlefield.

Background: 

• Several countries have rejected Putin's demand to halt aid to Ukraine. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron have both stated that they will continue to provide military support to Ukraine.
• The UK has expressed the same stance.
• Notably, Trump mentioned that during his telephone conversation with Putin, the issue of assistance to Ukraine had not been discussed.

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