U.S. Officials Doubt Ceasefire Between Russia and Ukraine in the Coming Months

Senior officials from the Trump administration have recently expressed doubts about the likelihood of brokering a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in the coming months. According to Reuters, U.S. officials revealed that Washington is preparing to ramp up pressure on both Kyiv and Moscow, as the prospect of achieving a full ceasefire by April or May seems increasingly improbable.

A 30-day ceasefire, proposed by the U.S., was agreed to by Ukraine during discussions in Jeddah on March 11. However, Russia rejected the proposal, demanding conditions that would weaken Ukraine's defense, particularly the cessation of foreign military aid. Despite this, the three parties involved did agree on a partial truce, which included restrictions on attacks against energy infrastructure and the Black Sea region, during talks in Riyadh last week.

Since the partial truce was reached, both Kyiv and Moscow have accused each other of violating the energy ceasefire, and the future of the Black Sea truce is uncertain. Russia has tied its continuation to the lifting of some Western sanctions. Meanwhile, officials in Washington have voiced growing frustration not only with Kyiv's resistance to negotiating on certain issues but also with Moscow's role in stalling peace talks.

The White House and State Department officials have reportedly acknowledged that Russian President Vladimir Putin is actively hindering efforts to finalize a peace deal. This follows statements from the Russian Foreign Ministry indicating that Moscow is not prepared to accept Trump's proposals in their current form, citing the failure to address the alleged "root causes" of the conflict.

Trump has made his discontent with Putin clear, previously criticizing the Russian leader for undermining Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. In return, Trump warned that Zelensky would face "big problems" with the U.S. if he failed to sign an essential minerals deal. In response to tensions between Trump and Zelensky, the U.S. temporarily suspended military and intelligence support for Ukraine in March, in an attempt to pressure Ukraine into negotiations.

In addition to these actions, Trump has threatened further sanctions against Russia, including tariffs on Russian oil exports, unless Putin agrees to a deal to end the war.