Yuri Kobzar20:20, 09.05.25

If the Kremlin continues to evade stopping the fighting, the new US administration will impose sanctions against “Vladimir’s friend” for the first time.

The United States and its European allies have almost agreed on a final proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine . If Moscow rejects the proposal, new sanctions will be jointly imposed, Reuters reports , citing a source in the French diplomatic establishment.

The publication notes that the day before, US President Donald Trump repeated his call for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine and warned of the possibility of imposing sanctions together with partners if hostilities continue.

Ukraine has long agreed to this proposal, but Russia has been trying to evade it, including by unilaterally imposing a three-day ceasefire from May 8 to 10 to mark the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany. Now Russia will be faced with a final choice.

“We have not yet fully completed the project, but we hope that we are at a stage of convergence. A ceasefire could be announced in the coming hours or days – either for 30 days or in phases, which is still being discussed,” said a diplomatic source on condition of anonymity.

According to the journalists’ interlocutor, discussions are currently ongoing about whether Ukraine should declare a unilateral ceasefire, confronting the Kremlin with the fact, or whether it is still worth giving Russia some time to react to the proposal itself. But in any case, if Russia refuses, new US and EU sanctions will be applied against it.

The 30-day truce proposal: what you need to know

As UNIAN reported, in March the United States proposed a 30-day ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia in order to begin negotiations on a final end to the war. This proposal was supported by Ukraine and European countries .

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed support for the initiative , noting that the three-day ceasefire proposed by Russia for May 9 is insufficient to achieve significant progress in peace talks. He emphasized that the 30-day ceasefire model is the most optimal, since it is impossible to agree on anything in a few days.

However, Russia refused to support the 30-day ceasefire initiative, stressing that any truce must take into account Russia’s “territorial gains” and Moscow’s “concerns.” The Kremlin also put forward a number of conditions, including a halt to mobilization in Ukraine and rearmament of the Ukrainian Armed Forces , as well as a mutual refusal to strike energy infrastructure.

(C)UNIAN 2025