DONALD Trump is pushing for a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine by Easter, a report claims.
But any peace is looking unlikely as Vladimir Putin continues blitzing Ukraine with drones and doesn’t appear to be in a hurry to sign any truce.
EPAUkrainian rescuers working at the site of an overnight drone attack in Kyiv[/caption]
A Ukrainian home was destroyed in Russian shelling
APUkraine’s 24th Mechanized Brigade prepare to fire a mortar[/caption]
The US President wants fighting to stop by Easter and the two sides to sign a deal by April 20, reports Bloomberg.
But several of Trump’s other peace deadlines have already been missed, raising questions about how seriously Putin wants peace.
During the campaign, Trump said there would be peace even before he took office or on “day one” of his second administration.
Following Tuesday’s call between Trump and Putin, the American could be in a long slog to get Putin to agree to a ceasefire.
The pair only made a little progress – agreeing on a 30-day partial ceasefire for bombing energy and infrastructure and agreeing to negotiate a maritime ceasefire.
Gloom is now being felt by Western countries over Putin’s foot-dragging and reluctance to end three years of carnage.
Putin has even stepped up attacks on his hated enemy since last week agreeing to the partial ceasefire – which appears to have already been breached by both sides.
One strike left a woman in her 20s the sole survivor in her family after their home was hit by a drone on Saturday.
Ukraine and American delegations in Saudi Arabia are meeting on Sunday, but all eyes will be on Russian diplomats meeting the US on Monday.
Putin has said he would sign up to a peace deal, but he has retained his red lines that Ukraine must be disarmed and not join Nato.
His envoys will demand Ukraine is left virtually defenceless with no Western arms and the freezing of frontlines securing his seizure of a fifth of the invaded nation.
Civilians continued to bear the brunt of Russian attacks on Saturday as 147 drones pounded Kyiv, Kharkiv, Sumy, Chernihiv, Odesa and Donetsk regions.
At least seven people were killed – including a five-year-old girl and her father – and at least 10 other people were injured as drones and falling missile debris triggered fires.
A woman died when the top floor of a nine storey block was left in flames in the capital’s Dnipro district while more casualty were reported on the blazing 20th floor of a block in Podil.
RexUkrainian and American diplomats meet in Jeddah for talks[/caption]
RexVolodymyr Zelensky met with Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman during his visit to the country[/caption]
Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv city military administration, said “The Russians are once again demonstrating their ‘desire for peace.’
“In reality, terrorists are simply launching deadly weapons at residential buildings.”
President Volodymyr Zelensky said yesterday: “These attacks are a daily reality.
“This week alone, over 1,580 guided aerial bombs, nearly 1,100 strike drones, and 15 missiles of various types were used against our people.”
Trump’s Middle East envoy and key peace negotiator has blasted Sir Keir Starmer’s Ukraine peacekeeping plan as “Churchill-like posing”.
Britain and France are leading the way on a plan to prevent Russia from invading again following any deal.
They are proposing to send a 10,000-strong contingent of troops to Ukraine to prevent Vlad from invading again.
Steve Witkoff, 68, has also praised the sick tyrant Putin as “super smart” in a blow to Ukraine.
The envoy bashed Britain and France’s plan to send peacekeepers to Ukraine to prevent another Russian invasion if a ceasefire is agreed.
He also repeated Kremlin talking points and falsehoods about Ukraine including saying that it was a “false country”.
RexDonald Trump wants a peacefire by Easter, a report claims[/caption]
APVladimir Putin is in no rush to stop fighting[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
