Trump pushes for 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine, threatens more sanctions

President Donald Trump said Thursday he was proposing a 30-day unconditional ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war — and threatened additional sanctions if the pause in fighting isn’t respected.

Trump wrote in a social media post that he will “stay committed” to peace between Ukraine and Russia, a departure from comments by him and his administration last month stressing that the U.S. could back out of talks if negotiations did not progress.

After pressuring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the beginning of Trump’s term, the Trump administration has recently been amping up pressure on Russia, as Trump’s patience has grown thin after being unable to end the war in his first 100 days.

“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 wrote on Truth Social.

Trump said both countries will be responsible for upholding a potential ceasefire, without directly calling out Russia. The negotiations for “lasting peace” will continue with European leaders, he added — as many Europeans have previously been anxious about potentially being pushed out of talks over Ukraine.

On Wednesday, Vice President JD Vance said Russia is “asking for too much” to end the war, saying at the Munich Leaders Meeting that Russia has rejected calls for a 30-day ceasefire and that the U.S. would look toward a longer term settlement.

Vance added that there’s a “big gulf” between Russia and Ukraine, and that it would be necessary for both sides to sit down with each other to actually hammer out a deal.

Following a rocky start where Trump blasted Zelenskyy as a “dictator without elections” and dressed him down with Vance during their Oval Office meeting in February, the U.S. and Ukraine signed an economic agreement last week to harness Ukraine’s “rare earths” and create an investment fund to help Ukraine rebuild after the end of the war. The deal came after Trump and Zelenskyy met before the funeral for Pope Francis in Vatican City.

Trump took to Truth Social shortly after meeting with Zelenskyy and expressed his frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying that he potentially did not want to stop the war and is “tapping me along.”

Trump’s criticism also came as Russia expanded its ground offensive and blasted Kiev in a series of deadly missile strikes. Top Russian officials including Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov responded that they are ready to reach a deal.

“Ukraine is ready for a full ceasefire starting right now, from this very moment — a 30-day silence,” Zelenskyy wrote on X following Trump’s social media post. “A ceasefire, lasting and reliable, will be a real indicator of movement toward peace.”