US President Donald Trump has expressed optimism that Ukraine and Russia could reach an agreement “this week,” amid ongoing hostilities and a fragile ceasefire declared by Moscow.
“Hopefully, Russia and Ukraine will reach an agreement this week. Then both will start doing great business with the United States, which will flourish and accumulate wealth!” Trump wrote on his social media platform.
His comments come as Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a 30-hour “Easter truce” over the Orthodox Easter weekend. However, Ukrainian officials claim the ceasefire was violated nearly 3,000 times, citing continued shelling and drone attacks across several regions.
“The so-called truce was broken 2,935 times,” a spokesperson for Ukraine’s military said, accusing Russian forces of using the pause as cover to reposition troops and equipment.