Senior Trump administration officials have been discussing in recent days that Washington may not be able to broker a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in the coming months, Reuters reported on April 1, citing two undisclosed U.S. officials.
The U.S. is drawing up plans to exert additional pressure on both Kyiv and Moscow as the goal of a full ceasefire by April or May seems increasingly unlikely, the news agency wrote.
Ukraine agreed to a U.S.-proposed full 30-day ceasefire during talks in Jeddah on March 11, but the Kremlin has rejected the proposal unless it includes conditions undermining Kyiv's defense capabilities, namely, a halt on foreign military support.
The three sides agreed on a partial truce, covering strikes against energy infrastructure and the Black Sea, during talks in Riyadh last week.
Since then, Kyiv and Moscow have accused each other of violating the energy ceasefire, while the future of the Black Sea truce remains in doubt as Russia linked it to the lifting of some Western sanctions.
While the Trump administration has long been dissatisfied with Kyiv's negotiating position and hesitancy on the U.S.-backed minerals deal, Reuters reported that Washington is now also growing frustrated with Russia.
White House and State Department officials reportedly acknowledge that Russian President Vladimir Putin is actively stalling attempts to broker a peace deal.
This coincides with statements from the Russian Foreign Ministry that Moscow is not ready to accept Trump's proposals "as they are now," as they do not address the supposed "root causes" of the war.
Trump previously said he was "pissed off" at Putin for continuing to disparage President Volodymyr Zelensky. On the same day, Trump warned that Zelensky would face "big problems" with the U.S. if he did not sign a critical minerals deal.
In March, the U.S. temporarily halted military and intelligence support for Ukraine to pressure it to the negotiating table after the public spat between Trump and Zelensky in the White House.
Trump has also repeatedly threatened Russia with additional sanctions, most recently threatening tariffs on Russian oil exports if Putin does not "make a deal" to end the war.
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