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Trump proposes 30-day truce between Russia and Ukraine: ‘Let’s work for peace’

9 May parade in Moscow, tensions over ceasefire. Zelensky opens to truce. US threatens sanctions if it is violated

On the day when Vladimir Putin prepares to celebrate Victory Day with a parade on 9 May, 80 years after the end of World War II, comes a direct message from Donald Trump. The US president has appealed to Moscow for an immediate 30-day ceasefire in the conflict in Ukraine, offering himself as a mediator for a lasting peace.

‘Talks with Russia and Ukraine continue. The United States calls, ideally, for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire,’ Trump wrote on the Truth platform. In the same hours, he had a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss the prospects for a truce.

Trump made it clear that both countries ‘will be held accountable for respecting the sanctity of these direct negotiations’ and threatened new sanctions if the truce is violated. ‘Thousands of young soldiers die every week. Everyone should want the war to end. I want it to end, and so does the US. I will work to ensure peace between Russia and Ukraine, together with the Europeans,’ he said. ‘This ceasefire must lead to a peace agreement. I will be available at any time if necessary.’

However, the climate remains tense. The symbolic truce proclaimed by Putin to armour the Moscow parade from 8 to 11 May is already the subject of mutual accusations between the parties: Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of ceasefire violations, while several international leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, are expected in Moscow.

Meanwhile, the dialogue between Washington and Kiev seems to have strengthened, thanks in part to the recent understanding on rare earths, which the White House sees as a strategic lever to recover part of the 350 billion spent in support of Ukraine. ‘We talked about joint actions, the indispensable support of the United States and pressure on Russia to achieve peace,’ Zelensky explained, confirming the Ukrainian commitment to an immediate truce.

‘Ukraine is ready for a complete and immediate ceasefire. No missile or drone attacks, no frontal assault. The Russians must respond by showing that they really want to end the war,’ Zelensky said, adding that ’thirty days could be the beginning of years of peace. America can make its contribution. The world needs America now, as it did eighty years ago’.

The White House message is also reinforced by the words of Vice-President JD Vance, who adopts a sharper tone towards the Kremlin. In an interview with Fox News, Vance said: ‘Russia is asking too much. That does not bother me, as long as it negotiates in good faith. But if we find otherwise, we will leave’.

‘Russia,’ he concluded, ‘cannot expect to get territories it has not even conquered. It is an unrealistic claim included in their initial peace plan’.

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