Ukraine war: Trump threatens further sanctions after phone call with Zelensky

Following a phone call with Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Zelensky, US President Donald Trump again called for a 30-day ceasefire in the war in Ukraine. Otherwise, he threatened further sanctions, according to a post by the US president on his online service Truth Social on Thursday. "The US ideally calls for a 30-day, unconditional ceasefire," Trump stated in the post. If the ceasefire is not observed, "the US and its partners will impose further sanctions."

For his part, Zelenskyy stated online on Thursday evening that he had informed the US president "that Ukraine is ready for a 30-day ceasefire, even today." He also assured Trump of Ukraine's readiness for "talks in any format." However, in order to conduct negotiations, according to Zelenskyy, Moscow must first "prove the seriousness of its intention to end the war." An unconditional ceasefire would be the beginning of this.

Trump emphasized on Thursday that he seeks a lasting peace between both sides. "It can all be done very quickly, and I will be available immediately if my services are needed," he declared. Before taking office, he claimed he could bring an end to the war within 24 hours. Trump's Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has repeatedly warned that if no progress is made, the US could abandon its efforts to end the war in Ukraine and move on to other issues.

Trump travels to Saudi Arabia next week

Last week, after lengthy negotiations and a White House scandal, the United States and Ukraine signed an economic agreement on the use of Ukraine's rare earths. They also agreed on an investment fund to help Ukraine rebuild after the war. The agreement came after Trump and Zelenskyy met before Pope Francis's funeral in Vatican City.

Trump is traveling to the Gulf region next week. According to the White House, he is also expected to visit Saudi Arabia. US officials recently negotiated a possible ceasefire there with delegations from Russia and Ukraine. However, the hoped-for breakthrough failed to materialize. Asked by reporters whether he might hold a surprise meeting with Putin in Saudi Arabia, Trump said: "I don't think so, but we're having very good talks. Very, very good." (with AFP)