Trump administration wants war to end by Easter

The administration of US President Donald Trump has told European officials that it wants to secure a ceasefire in Ukraine by Easter (April 20), Bloomberg reports, quoted by FOKUS, citing sources familiar with the talks.

"Some officials said that the pace of talks that will begin this week (Sunday is the start of the week for the EU and the US) in Saudi Arabia with senior American and Russian representatives is ambitious and potentially unrealistic“, the article states.

According to Bloomberg, as Trump insists on a quick end to the war, European officials are working on a new major package to increase defense spending and support for Kiev. Officials familiar with the plans told the news agency that the spending plans would not be announced before Germany's February 23 election to avoid controversy before the vote.

The plans are due to be discussed at a meeting in Paris on February 17, to which several EU leaders have been invited.

The situation is urgent as Trump is rushing to end the war in Ukraine and European officials fear that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky could be pushed into a disastrous deal if they fail to quickly develop a plan to secure his military support, the agency said.

French President Emmanuel Macron will host his counterparts from Germany, Britain, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands and Denmark on Monday to discuss their response with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, the US media reported.