Trump Optimistic About Russia-Ukraine Ceasefire as Zelensky Remains Skeptical

In a recent meeting, President Trump mentioned encouraging signs for a potential 30-day ceasefire agreement between Russia and Ukraine, although Ukrainian President Zelensky expressed skepticism regarding the conditions laid out by President Putin.

On March 13, 2025, President Trump shared an optimistic outlook concerning a proposed 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House. Trump noted that U.S. officials were in Moscow for significant discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who had expressed conditional openness to a truce.

"It doesn’t mean anything until we hear what the final outcome is, but they have very serious discussions going on right now with President Putin and others, and hopefully, they all want to end this nightmare," Trump remarked, referring to the ongoing conflict.

Additionally, Trump indicated that the U.S. was in active talks with Ukraine regarding potential concessions, including discussions surrounding territory involved in a future peace agreement. He highlighted that "a lot of the details of a final agreement have actually been discussed."

However, President Zelensky of Ukraine adopted a more cautious stance in his evening address, describing Putin's response as "very predictable." He pointed out the numerous preconditions set by the Russian leader, viewing them as barriers to successful negotiations and expressing doubt that any resolution could be achieved swiftly or effectively.