Trump calls for 30-day Russia-Ukraine ceasefire

Washington: United States President Donald Trump has called for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, asserting his commitment to achieving peace between the two nations. He warned that any violation of the ceasefire terms would result in sanctions.

"Talks with Russia/Ukraine continue. The US calls for, ideally, a 30-day unconditional ceasefire. Hopefully, an acceptable ceasefire will be observed, and both Countries will be held accountable for respecting the sanctity of these direct negotiations. If the ceasefire is not respected, the US and its partners will impose further sanctions," Trump wrote on Truth Social on Friday.

Highlighting the human cost of the ongoing war, Trump added, "Thousands of young soldiers are dying on a weekly basis, and everybody should want it to STOP. I do, and the United States of America does, also. As President, I will stay committed to securing Peace between Russia and Ukraine, together with the Europeans, and a Lasting Peace it will be! This ceasefire must ultimately build toward a Peace Agreement. It can all be done very quickly, and I will be available on a moment's notice if my services are needed. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"

Later, speaking to reporters at the Oval Office, Trump directly appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to end the conflict. "I have a message for both parties: Get this war ended. Get this stupid war finished. That's my message for both of them," he said.

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt, addressing a briefing on Friday, stated that the much-anticipated Trump-Putin meeting scheduled for next week in the Middle East will not take place. She added that Trump had a "very good and productive" phone call with Zelensky and expressed optimism that both Ukraine and Russia might agree to the proposed ceasefire in the coming week.

Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Russia appreciates the efforts of the US President and welcomes the involvement of any nation that can support the peace process. When asked about reports suggesting that Trump may request Turkey or China to help mediate the talks, Peskov responded, "We are ready to welcome any country's efforts. We are obviously thankful to the US President Trump for all efforts for bringing the process of settlement to the political and diplomatic field. And we will welcome the efforts of all other countries that can contribute (to the settlement)."

However, he noted that any meaningful discussion of a ceasefire must consider various complex factors, adding that a detailed agreement would require careful deliberation.

With IANS inputs