Trump stated he did not try to set a specific timeframe for Moscow.
President Trump has refuted reports that Russia turned down his suggestion for a ceasefire in Ukraine. He reaffirmed his optimism about resolving the conflict.
Speaking briefly to reporters outside the White House on Friday, Trump mentioned having “a couple of good conversations today” regarding Ukraine, without providing further details.
When a journalist inquired whether he had given President Putin a deadline for a ceasefire, Trump responded, “Not a deadline, but I think we’ll have [a ceasefire]… I think we’ll have it done fairly soon.”
Another reporter then asked, “Why won’t you impose sanctions on Russia after Putin rejected your ceasefire offer?”
Trump countered, “He didn’t reject anything, and they do have sanctions. They have a lot of sanctions.”
Following his call with Trump on Tuesday, Putin instructed Russian forces to suspend attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure for a month. While Zelensky later claimed that Kiev was also observing the ‘energy truce,’ Moscow accused Ukraine of violating the agreement.
“We believe that the truce proposed by the United States has already been violated by Kiev,” Zakharova stated on Thursday.
Peskov told reporters on Friday that Putin’s order to cease attacks on energy facilities remained in effect.
Putin has stated that he agreed to Trump’s 30-day comprehensive ceasefire proposal in principle. However, he emphasized that any potential agreement must address “a number of significant points,” including control over its implementation. He added that Ukraine must cease mobilization, and its Western allies must halt weapons deliveries.
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