Trump optimistic about potential agreement this week – DW – 04/21/2025

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that “hopefully” a deal can be struck “this week” without specifying what that arrangement would entail.

“Hopefully Russia and Ukraine will make a deal this week,” he wrote in all capital letters on his Truth Social platform.

“Both will then start to do big business with the United States of America, which is thriving, and make a fortune,” he said.

Trump recently called on Kyiv and Moscow to show willingness to compromise in the war that started with Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022.

On Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a brief ceasefire for the Easter holiday, but both sides have since pointed their fingers, accusing each other of breaking the truce.

Russia and Ukraine traded allegations of Easter ceasefire breaches on Sunday with both sides reporting mass drone and artillery attacks.

Kyiv’s Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskii said Russian shelling and the use of kamikaze drones had been observed while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Moscow of 2,000 ceasefire violations.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had announced a 30-hour ceasefire for Easter Sunday, but both sides accused each other of breaching it, with Kyiv insisting it has only been launching reciprocal, defensive strikes.

Given that the truce violations have reportedly involved artillery rather than airborne missiles, Zelenskyy has still proposed “[ceasing] any strikes using long-range drones and missiles on civilian infrastructure for a period of at least 30 days” – with a possible extension.

“This is a format of ceasefire that has been achieved and that is the easiest to extend,” he said.

“If Russia does not agree to such a step, it will be proof that it intends to continue doing only those things which destroy human lives and prolong the war.”

Meanwhile, the Russian defense ministry says it had “repelled” Ukrainian attacks during the brief truce. Moscow also accused Kyiv of launching drones and shells, causing civilian casualties.

The 30-hour unilateral “Easter truce” announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin ended a few hours ago.

Despite Kyiv and Moscow trading allegations of breaching the temporary ceasefire, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has proposed suspending drone, cruise missile, and rocket attacks on civilian targets for at least another 30 days.

He was not the only one on Sunday holding out for some positive movement more than three years into Russia’s war against Ukraine. US President Donald Trump cryptically posted that “hopefully Russia and Ukraine will make a deal this week.”

In this blog, we will keep you updated as the day unfolds.