US President Donald Trump on Thursday pressed Russia to accept a 30-day unconditional ceasefire with Ukraine, with any breaches punishable by sanctions, France 24 reports.
Trump renewed the pitch for a truce after speaking to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has moved to shore up his relationship with the US administration after a bitter White House clash on February 28.
"Talks with Russia/Ukraine continue. The US calls for, ideally, a 30-day unconditional ceasefire," Trump said on his Truth Social network after speaking to Zelensky.
"If the ceasefire is not respected, the US and its partners will impose further sanctions."
Trump said that "both countries will be held accountable for respecting the sanctity of these direct negotiations" to halt the conflict that started when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
Zelensky quickly pressed the Russians to accept, saying it must "prove their willingness to end the war".
"Ukraine is ready for a full ceasefire starting right now, from this very moment – a 30-day silence. But it must be real. No missile or drone strikes, no hundreds of assaults on the front," Zelensky wrote on social media.
Ukraine in March embraced the US proposal for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire but it was brushed aside by Russia, which sees itself as gaining an upper hand on the battlefield as US assistance to Kyiv dries up under Trump.
Russian President Vladimir Putin for his part ordered a three-day ceasefire for Thursday's 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, for which Moscow threw a vast military parade attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Ukraine dismissed the ceasefire as theatrics and said that Russia had broken its own order after just a few hours.
"When has Russia ever kept its promises?" said Anatoly Pavlovych, 73, in Kyiv.
