Trump critics must fix their own faults for peace to prevail

THIS week has brought a rare glimmer of hope with the announcement of a potential ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia.

- Esther Krakue

Following US-mediated talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio revealed Kyiv has accepted a 30-day truce proposal, now leaving the ball in Russia's court.

The announcement came just hours after news of Russian forces making gains in the contested Kursk region. Now the world watches to see if Moscow will indeed agree to negotiate an end to the conflict.

What a change of direction. Just two weeks ago, Zelensky's White House meeting with Trump descended into what looked suspiciously like a stage-managed diplomatic disaster. The world recoiled, both at the undignified spectacle and the alarming implication that US military aid to Ukraine might be hanging by a thread.

Days later, the US confirmed it was suspending both military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine, leaving its forces extremely vulnerable. But if the last two years have proven anything, it's that Trump negotiates like a sledgehammer loud, chaotic, but occasionally effective. After the US and Ukraine resumed discussions, now a ceasefire is on the table.

The question remains: What will Russia do next? The human toll of this war has been simply catastrophic. Ukrainian sources report roughly 70,000 military deaths, with an estimated 25,000 civilian casualties.