Trump wants ceasefire in Ukraine by Easter, Bloomberg reports
U.S. President Donald Trump wants to secure a ceasefire in Russia's war against Ukraine by Easter, Bloomberg reported on Feb. 16, citing unnamed officials.
Trump has previously promised to end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours. Since his victory in the U.S. presidential election, that timeline has been revised.
The U.S administration has told European officials that it hopes to achieve a ceasefire agreement by Easter, which falls on April 20, Bloomberg reported.
Trump's plan for a quick resolution to end Russia's war against Ukraine is ambitious and "potentially unrealistic," an unnamed source said.
It is more likely Trump will be able to obtain a ceasefire in Ukraine by the end of the year and not by Easter, one person said.
Over the past week, the U.S. has made several moves to advance its Russia-Ukraine agenda — some of which have alarmed European and Ukrainian officials.
Trump spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call on Feb. 12, holding a separate phone call with President Volodymyr Zelensky later the same day.
"We have no doubt that the threat to Europe is Vladimir Putin's Russia, Trump's phone call to Putin was a mistake," Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said at the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 15.
U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, shocked European leaders on Feb. 15 when he said Europe won't be directly involved in peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.
France plans to host an emergency summit on Feb. 17 for European leaders to discuss strategies toward Russia and Ukraine amid fears that the U.S. will shut the EU out of the negotiations process.
Andrea Januta
