A NEW PROPOSAL TO END THE UKRAINE WAR

U.S. President Donald Trump's push to achieve a quick ceasefire in Ukraine has so far been unsuccessful. Under American pressure, Ukraine had earlier announced that it was ready to observe a 30-day interim ceasefire, an offer Russia rejected. Last month, Russia proposed a mutual pause on attacks on each country's energy facilities—which the Kremlin said had expired last week. On Saturday (April 19, 2025), Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a 30-hour Easter ceasefire, which has also expired. Why does Mr. Trump find the diplomatic path so difficult? The answer lies in the fundamentally divergent positions of the different actors in the conflict.

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America wants a ceasefire and use the truce to build a reset in its ties with Russia. Russia wants a comprehensive peace agreement — not just a ceasefire — that addresses its core security concerns. Europe is wary of a complete Ukrainian capitulation because it thinks such an outcome would rewrite the continent's security dynamics leaving Russia in a stronger position. And Ukraine wants to keep the right to rearm and remobilise its forces as part of any final agreement — which is unacceptable for Russia. In this news analysis, I explore the positions of all the key players in the conflict to understand why a ceasefire remains elusive.