Ukraine-Russia war latest: Trump threatens to ruin Putin with sanctions if he doesn’t accept 30-day ceasefire

As you head into work this morning, we remind you of US president Donald Trump’s latest comments on the war in Ukraine.

Mr Trump said he had received “positive messages” from Russia about a ceasefire but added that such rhetoric means “nothing” until a deal is struck.

He reiterated his threats to “do things financially that would be very bad for Russia”.

The Kremlin said on Wednesday it was awaiting details from Washington about a ceasefire proposal in Ukraine. Kyiv agreed to a 30-day proposal during talks with the US in Saudi Arabia.

Senior Moscow sources said a deal would have to take account of Russia’s advances and address its concerns.

Mr Trump said a ceasefire would make sense for Moscow but said there was “a lot of downside for Russia too”, without elaborating.

“We have a very complex situation solved on one side, pretty much solved. We’ve also discussed land and other things that go with it,” he said.

“We know the areas of land we’re talking about, whether it’s pull back or not pull back.”

Asked if he would do anything to pressure Russia, Mr Trump said: “I can do things financially, that would be very bad for Russia. I don’t want to do that because I want to get peace.”

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has reiterated his calls for Western security guarantees in his nightly address.

You can see his full statement with English subtitles below.

The Ukrainian military said on Thursday that it had shot down 74 out of 117 drones launched by Russia overnight.

Another 38 drones did not reach their targets likely due to electronic warfare countermeasures, the military added in a statement on the Telegram messaging app.

The document, drawn up in February, outlines the Russian plan to weaken the U.S. position on the Ukraine crisis by boosting tensions between the Trump White House and other nations as Russia moves ahead with its plans to pick apart the country, reports Gustaf Kilander from Washington.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has urged Kyiv’s allies to ensure Russia does not “deceive” them over ceasefire negotiations.

Following high-level talks between Ukrainian and US officials in Saudi Arabia, Kyiv announced it was prepared to accept a proposed 30-day ceasefire with Moscow.

However, in his nightly address on Wednesday, a day after the summit in Jeddah, Mr Zelensky stressed the need for vigilance.

“We must move toward peace,” he said, but warned: “The key factor is our partners’ ability to ensure Russia’s readiness not to deceive but to genuinely end the war. Because right now, Russian strikes have not stopped.”

Attention has now turned to Russian president Vladimir Putin’s response to the ceasefire proposal.

Former US president Donald Trump, commenting on Washington’s position, said the US had received “some positive messages” and added, “We have people going to Russia right now”.

Mr Trump also issued a warning to Moscow, stating: “In a financial sense, yeah we could do things very bad for Russia, would be devastating for Russia”.

The European Parliament has condemned the United States for allegedly coercing Ukraine into surrendering to Russia, accusing Washington of prioritising a peace deal over Kyiv’s sovereignty.

In a resolution passed on 12 March, EU lawmakers “strongly deplore any attempts at blackmailing Ukraine’s leadership into surrender to the Russian aggressor for the sole purpose of announcing a so-called ‘peace deal”.

The statement follows Ukraine’s announcement that it was prepared to accept a US-proposed 30-day ceasefire, contingent on Russia adhering to the terms. Shortly after Kyiv signalled its willingness, Washington resumed military aid that had previously been suspended.

The resolution criticises the US for attempting “to negotiate a ceasefire and peace agreement with Russia over the heads of Ukraine and other European states,” branding the approach “counterproductive and dangerous”.

It further states that Russian president Vladimir Putin is effectively being “rewarded” for waging a full-scale war against Ukraine.

The European lawmakers urged for stronger support for Ukraine, warning that shifting US foreign policy poses a risk. They called for measures to “increase the effectiveness and impact of sanctions on Russia” to cripple its capacity to continue military aggression and threaten European security.

The resolution was backed by 440 members of the 720-seat European Parliament.

Poland’s president has called on the US to transfer nuclear weapons to its territory as a deterrent against future Russian aggression, a proposal he said he recently discussed with US president Donald Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia Keith Kellogg.

“The borders of Nato moved east in 1999, so 26 years later there should also be a shift of the Nato infrastructure east. For me this is obvious,” Andrzej Duda told the Financial Times in an interview.

It would be safer if those weapons were already in the country, Mr Duda said.

Ukraine hopes this will show that it has always been Russia that is the one in the way of peace.

But even if Mr Putin agrees to a temporary truce, which is a big if, Ukraine and Europe are clear that Russia has a long history of breaking ceasefire agreements, reports Tom Walting.