'Peace Must Prevail': Trump Calls for Unconditional 30-Day Ceasefire Between Russia and Ukraine

US President Donald Trump has called for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine following a conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on 8 May. Trump announced the proposal on his Truth Social platform, urging both nations to honor the ceasefire and warning that failure to comply would result in further sanctions imposed by the US and its partners.

"The US calls for, ideally, a 30-day unconditional ceasefire. Hopefully, an acceptable ceasefire will be observed, and both countries will be held accountable for respecting the sanctity of these direct negotiations. If the ceasefire is not respected, the US and its partners will impose further sanctions," Trump wrote, emphasizing the toll the ongoing conflict has taken. "Thousands of young soldiers are dying on a weekly basis, and everybody should want it to STOP," he added.

The US president also said that the proposed ceasefire should be a step toward a broader peace agreement, suggesting that negotiations could progress swiftly. "This ceasefire must ultimately build toward a Peace Agreement. It can all be done very quickly, and I will be available on a moment's notice if my services are needed," Trump stated.

Meanwhile, Zelensky, in a post on Telegram, confirmed his conversation with Trump, during which he reiterated Ukraine's willingness to implement a 30-day ceasefire immediately. "We are waiting for Russia to support this proposal. I also reaffirmed that Ukraine is ready to engage in talks in any format. But for that, Russia must demonstrate the seriousness of its intentions to end the war, starting with a full unconditional ceasefire," Zelensky wrote. He added that Trump expressed his commitment to ending the conflict and congratulated Ukrainians on Victory Day in World War II.

US Vice President JD Vance, in an interview with Fox News, commented on the ongoing negotiations, describing Russia's demands as excessive and insisting that Moscow should not expect to retain control over territories it has not yet conquered. "We knew that Russia would ask for too much because Russia's perception of the war is that on the ground, they're winning," Vance said. "And our attitude is: we don't want Ukraine to collapse. We obviously want Ukraine to remain a sovereign country, but Russia can't expect to be given territory that they haven't even conquered yet."

Vance acknowledged some progress in the talks, noting that both sides were presenting concrete proposals for peace. However, he warned that the US would withdraw from the negotiations if it became evident that Russia was not negotiating in good faith. "If that happens, we're going to walk away. The president's going to say, 'We are out of this thing,'" he stated.

Despite his reservations, Vance expressed optimism that diplomatic efforts could bring the sides closer to a lasting peace. "We've got to try to get these sides a little bit closer together to achieve a lasting peace. We are not there yet. We'll keep working on it until we decide that we ultimately can’t make any more progress," he said.

In a related statement, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reaffirmed his position that Russian President Vladimir Putin is a war criminal but noted that dialogue with the Russian leader remains necessary despite his actions.