U.S. President Donald Trump hopes to conclude a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia this week, pushing a plan that includes dangerous concessions for Kiev - recognizing the annexation of Crimea and not joining NATO. Against the backdrop of Washington's reluctance to confront Putin, EU countries are stepping up military aid to Ukraine and calling for faster arms deliveries. The Kremlin is satisfied with the American signals, but Moscow resumed its attacks after the Easter "ceasefire".
Trump hopes for peace deal this week
US President Donald Trump said hope that a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia will be reached this week. He noted that both sides will be able to start large-scale cooperation with the United States after the agreement is concluded. However, Trump's proposals, which include recognizing Crimea as Russian territory and Ukraine's refusal to join NATO, are causing concern in Kyiv and among Western allies.
Russia resumes attacks after Easter ceasefire
After a 30-hour Easter ceasefire announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russian troops resumed shelling Ukrainian territory. The attacks killed at least three civilians in the Kherson region.
In turn, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported more than 2,900 ceasefire violations by Russia that day, including artillery shelling and the use of drones.
Kremlin satisfied with US position on NATO
The Kremlin has expressed satisfaction with the Trump administration's statements ruling out the possibility of Ukraine joining NATO. Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that this position of the United States is in Russia's interests and can contribute to a peaceful settlement of the conflict.
Trump to meet Stoltenberg and Norwegian prime minister: Ukraine among key topics
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg, the former head of NATO, will meet with US President Donald Trump at the White House on April 24. One of the main topics of the talks will be the war in Ukraine, as well as security issues, cooperation within NATO and economic relations between the two countries.
The two leaders are also expected to discuss the recent introduction of US tariffs on Norwegian goods: initially 15%, later reduced to 10% for a period of 90 days. Støre stressed that he wanted to strengthen the economic partnership with Washington. The meeting could become an important platform for discussing policy coordination on Ukraine.
Bloomberg: Europe should take the initiative to pressure Putin, as the US is dragging its feet
According to Bloomberg, the Trump administration is extremely cautious about putting pressure on Russia. Although the United States is involved in peace negotiations, it has actually met almost all of the Kremlin's demands, including blocking Ukraine's membership in NATO and tacitly approving the annexation of Crimea.
Meanwhile, European states, including Britain, France, and members of the Contact Group, have stepped up their support for Ukraine: over 21 billion euros in military aid, a 150 billion euro defense loan plan, and support for local arms production. The publication calls not only for speeding up the delivery of weapons, particularly German Taurus missiles, but also for finding ways to bypass Hungary, which is blocking the decision in the EU, and for increasing sanctions pressure on Russia and its allies.
WSJ: Trump offers Ukraine peace plan with concessions to Russia - Kyiv opposes
The Wall Street Journal said, that the Trump administration has presented Ukraine with a so-called plan to end the war. The proposal, presented to the Ukrainian delegation in Paris on April 18, includes the recognition of Crimea as Russian territory, a ban on NATO membership, the neutralization of the zone around the nuclear power plant and the freezing of the front line at its current positions.
Ukraine has already made it clear that it will not accept such conditions and will not recognize any territorial concessions. The US State Department, however, called the document a "set of options" for discussion. Kyiv is expected to respond during a meeting in London this week. If the EU and Ukraine agree on a position, the proposal could be forwarded to Moscow.
Author: Danylo Pievchev