US anticipates Ukraine ceasefire in matter of weeks

(MENAFN) Senior US officials have informed European allies that the United States expects a comprehensive ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict within the next few weeks, according to Bloomberg. This outlook was shared during a series of meetings in Paris on Thursday, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron. US Presidential envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were reportedly part of these discussions.

European officials reportedly urged the US to take a firmer stance against Russia, with some describing the meetings as the latest attempt to influence US negotiations with Moscow. Last week, Witkoff visited St. Petersburg for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which he described as “compelling.” Ukrainian President Zelensky, however, criticized Witkoff, accusing him of repeating "Russian narratives."

Russian officials, on the other hand, have expressed doubts about the possibility of a ceasefire. Moscow believes that European influence is hindering US efforts to secure peace. Russia's UN representative, Vassily Nebenzia, noted that Ukraine has not adhered to a US-brokered moratorium on strikes against energy infrastructure, further casting doubt on the feasibility of a full ceasefire. He added that the West’s use of peace agreements to bolster Ukraine’s military has led to skepticism regarding the prospects for an actual ceasefire.

As the 30-day energy ceasefire announced in mid-March is set to expire this week, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that President Putin had not issued any new military directives.

MENAFN21042025000045015687ID1109451984