Wants ceasefire by Easter – will address ‘elephant in the room’

Ukraine
US wants to see ceasefire by Easter – will address “elephant in the room” with Russia

Jacob Ruderstam

Updated 12.44 | Published 09.30

 

Donald Trump. Photo: Jose Luis Magana / AP

The White House hopes that there will be a ceasefire in Ukraine in time for Easter.

The Kremlin is in no hurry and is continuing its attacks.

In the new peace talks, the US will address the “elephant in the room” with the Russians.

The White House still hopes that a ceasefire in Ukraine is imminent. On Friday, President Donald Trump said that a pause in the fighting could become a reality “pretty soon”. This despite the fact that Russia and Ukraine continue to attack each other despite an agreement to spare energy infrastructure.

Sources tell Bloomberg that the White House’s goal is for a ceasefire to take effect in time for Easter. April 20, Easter Sunday, is the date that the US administration is particularly hoping for. However, the timeline is threatened by the fact that the two sides are still far apart, according to the information.

Steve Witkoff on his way to the White House this week. Photo: Mark Schiefelbein / AP

Most important issue

Russia is demanding, among other things, that arms deliveries from the West to Ukraine be completely stopped in order to agree to an agreement.

New talks between the US and Russia are expected on Monday. Delegations will then travel to Saudi Arabia where a ceasefire will be discussed. The US is also expected to hold new talks with Ukraine.

Donald Trump's envoy to Ukraine, Steve Witkoff, has previously announced that the US delegation will consist of Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, among others. In an interview with former Fox journalist Tucker Carlson, Witkoff says that one issue will be more important than any other.

It concerns the four Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson. Whether Ukraine can accept to give up the areas is the “elephant in the room”, says Witkoff.

– Russia de facto controls these areas. The question is whether the world will recognize that they are Russian territories. Can Zelensky survive politically if he recognizes it? That is the central question in the conflict.

The Ukrainian president has previously been clear that he does not see the four occupied areas as Russian.

The gift for Trump

Witkoff himself met Vladimir Putin last week. In the interview with Carlson, the envoy says that during his visit to Moscow he received a portrait of Trump that Putin had an artist paint. When Witkoff delivered the gift to Trump, the American president was said to have been moved.

– I do not see Putin as a bad person, says Witkoff.

The envoy is also “100 percent sure” that Russia does not want a war in Europe. He also believes that the Kremlin's ambition is not to take all of Ukraine.