US President Donald Trump wants to see a permanent ceasefire to bring the war in Ukraine to a complete stop, the White House said Monday in response to Russia’s unilateral three-day pause.
“I understand Vladimir Putin this morning offered a temporary ceasefire. The (US) president has made it clear he wants to see a permanent ceasefire, first, to stop the killing, stop the bloodshed, and while he remains optimistic he can strike a deal, he’s also being realistic as well,” spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told reporters.
“Both leaders need to come to the table to negotiate their way out of this. And I do think that the president meeting with President Zelensky shows that he is exuding a lot of effort and time into this because he wants to be a peacemaker president,” she said, referring to Trump’s meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of Pope Francis’ funeral over the weekend.
Putin on Monday declared a unilateral ceasefire in Ukraine, as Moscow is set to mark the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany during World War II. The Russian leader ordered the cessation of all military actions in Ukraine from midnight on May 7-8 to midnight on May 10-11.
Ukraine said in response that Moscow must stop hostilities in Ukraine “immediately” if it wants peace.
“If Russia truly wants peace, it must cease fire immediately. Why wait until May 8th? If the fire can be ceased now and since any date for 30 days-so it is real, not just for a parade,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on X.
He went on to say Ukraine is ready to support a “lasting, durable, and full” ceasefire, adding: “This is what we are constantly proposing, for at least 30 days.”