'Everybody should want it to STOP': Trump gives update on Russia-Ukraine conflict as ceasefire talks continue

By Shannon Cook

Trump provides an update on the Russia-Ukraine conflict as ceasefire talks between the two warring countries continue.

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Writing on his social media platform Truth Social on Thursday evening, Trump writes: "Talks with Russia/Ukraine continue. The US calls for, ideally, a 30-day unconditional ceasefire."

The US president continues: "Hopefully, an acceptable ceasefire will be observed, and both countries will be held accountable for respecting the sanctity of these direct negotiations.

"If the ceasefire is not respected, the US and its partners will impose further sanctions. Thousands of young soldiers are dying on a weekly basis, and everybody should want it to be STOP."

He adds: "As president, I will stay committed to securing peace between Russia and Ukraine, together with the Europeans, and a lasting peace it will be!"

The president urged the ceasefire to "ultimately build toward a peace agreement."

He insisted "it can all be done very quickly".

The statements come as Ukraine and Russia have both accused each other of violating a three-day ceasefire put in place to mark VE Day.

The Kremlin-proposed ceasefire, which Ukraine did not agree to, began yesterday, but has been breached hundreds of times already, Kyiv claims.

Russia has breached the truce more than 730 times, Ukraine's foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said on Thursday evening.

It comes as Russia hosted world leaders in Moscow, marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two.

Kyiv reports that the Russian attacks took place in the east and the northern region of Sumy.

Read more: JD Vance says Russia 'asking for too much' in Ukraine peace deal

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At least one person has died in Russian attacks today, according to Ukrainian media.

Russia hit back at Ukraine in the wake of the allegations, accusing Kyiv of breaching the one-sided truce.

The Kremlin alleges Ukraine broke the ceasefire, which it did not agree to, 488 times since yesterday.

It comes as JD Vance said that Russia is "asking for too much" in negotiations to bring the Ukraine war to a close.

The vice president, speaking at a Washington meeting hosted by the Munich Security Conference, did not elaborate on Moscow's terms, but said he was not pessimistic about the possibility of a peace deal.

That is a more sanguine assessment than President Donald Trump's recent scepticism that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to end the war that begin in February 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine.

"I wouldn't say that the Russians are uninterested in bringing this thing to a resolution," Mr Vance said.

"What I would say is right now the Russians are asking for a certain set of requirements, a certain set of concessions in order to end the conflict. We think they're asking for too much."