Seoul Gazette - Trump presses Russia for unconditional 30-day Ukraine ceasefire

Trump renewed the pitch for a truce after speaking to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has moved to shore up his relationship with the US administration after a bitter White House clash on February 28.

"Talks with Russia/Ukraine continue. The U.S. calls for, ideally, a 30-day unconditional ceasefire," Trump said on his Truth Social network after speaking to Zelensky.

"If the ceasefire is not respected, the U.S. and its partners will impose further sanctions."

Trump said that "both countries will be held accountable for respecting the sanctity of these direct negotiations" to halt the conflict that started when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

Zelensky quickly pressed the Russians to accept, saying it must "prove their willingness to end the war."

"Ukraine is ready for a full ceasefire starting right now, from this very moment -- a 30-day silence. But it must be real. No missile or drone strikes, no hundreds of assaults on the front," Zelensky wrote on social media.

Ukraine in March embraced the US proposal for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire but it was brushed aside by Russia, which sees itself as gaining an upper hand on the battlefield as US assistance to Kyiv dries up under Trump.

Russian President Vladimir Putin for his part ordered a three-day ceasefire for Thursday's 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, for which Moscow threw a vast military parade attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Ukraine dismissed the ceasefire as theatrics and said that Russia had broken its own order after just a few hours.

"When has Russia ever kept its promises?" said Anatoly Pavlovych, 73, in Kyiv.

- Growing impatience -

Trump had vowed to end the war within a day of returning to the White House. He quickly reached out to Putin, effectively ending the Western isolation of the Russian leader in place since he invaded Ukraine.

But Trump has shown growing impatience, first with Zelensky and more recently with Putin as the fighting has continued.

Trump said Thursday he wanted lasting peace. "It can all be done very quickly, and I will be available on a moment's notice if my services are needed," he wrote.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has repeatedly warned that the United States could drop its efforts and move on to other issues without progress.

Trump heads next week to Saudi Arabia, which has served as a venue for separate US talks with Russia and Ukraine.

Asked by reporters if he could hold a surprise meeting with Putin in Saudi Arabia, Trump said: "I don't think so but we're having very good conversations. Very, very good."

Zelensky has sought to remove perceptions that he is an obstacle to peace, after Trump and Vice President JD Vance berated him at the White House meeting as allegedly ungrateful for the billions of dollars in US aid under former president Joe Biden.

Ukraine's parliament on Thursday ratified a minerals deal with the United States that Zelensky had meant to sign in the ill-fated White House meeting.

The deal, which spells out joint development of Ukraine's natural resources and minerals used in high technology, does not include any security guarantees from Washington.

But the Trump administration argues that boosting its business interests in Ukraine will itself act as a bulwark against Russia.

N.Hong--SG