By Ishtwan Kamel
18/04/2025
Ukraine is now in a decisive phase of the war, not only on the frontline but also in international diplomacy. Russia continues to fight, openly demonstrating its disdain for peace initiatives despite growing external pressure on Kyiv to call a truce. The irony is that the West is still trying to convince the Kremlin that it has no intention of stopping its aggression.
The situation on the front line remains critical. In the Donetsk region – in the areas of Toretsk, Kostiantynivka and Klishchiyivka – Russian troops have intensified their attacks. The Russians are using the tactic of ‘wave offensives’, throwing new reserves into the fray. Number of attempts to make a border breakthrough on reconnaissance manoeuvres in the Sumy region, where Ukrainian forces are defending near the village of Basivka. A new offensive campaign, which could last all summer, may be being prepared by the Russian command.
Intensive diplomatic efforts to broker a truce are continuing. On 17 April, an important round of talks took place in Paris between representatives of the United States, France, Germany and Ukraine. The talks reaffirmed that “a full and unconditional ceasefire should be the first step on the road to sustainable peace”. This formula was welcomed in the United States, where the Trump administration is seeking a breakthrough in the negotiations before Easter, which falls on 20 April this year and is celebrated by Christians in the West and East the same date.
But any illusions about a possible ‘Easter peace’ were quickly dispelled. Just hours after the talks concluded, Russia’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzya, said, “A ceasefire at this stage is absolutely unrealistic”. This came against the background of new attacks by the Russian army and intensifying strikes on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure.
This signal Kyiv took unequivocally: Moscow is once again using diplomacy as a tactical shield, not intending to stop fighting.
Nonetheless, US President Donald Trump issued an ultimatum to Putin: the Kremlin must stop fighting by 20 April, otherwise the US will consider restoring large-scale military aid to Ukraine and imposing new sanctions. Critics, however, warn that such “deadline diplomacy” plays into the hands of the aggressor. It allows him to stall for time while making Washington partly responsible for the failure of the agreements.
Ukraine’s European allies have taken a clearer stance. In separate statements, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stressed that peace cannot be achieved without Ukraine participating. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, during his visit to Odesa on 14 April, stated bluntly: ‘Peace cannot be the result of bargaining over the head of a state fighting for its survival.’ He recalled that the attack on Sumy, which killed 34 people, including two children, was further proof that Moscow seeks destruction, not dialogue.
In his address on 17 April, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated Kyiv’s position: ‘Peace without justice is just a pause before the next war’. According to him, any ceasefire without guarantees for the withdrawal of Russian troops and the legal responsibility of the aggressor will only freeze the conflict, not resolve it.
In this way, Ukraine is caught between the external pressure for a ceasefire and the actual continuation of the war. Kyiv’s involvement in non-transparent negotiations without any commitment from Russia not only contradicts the principles of international law, but also sets a precedent where aggression can be rewarded. Ukraine’s participation in the negotiation process should not be cosmetic. It should be decisive. This is the only way to avoid mistakes like those that have repeatedly led to a return to war.