Podolyak: the US may take tough action against Russia after 20 April

Mykhailo Podolyak, photo: parlament.ua

The United States is still pursuing a strategy of soft diplomacy in negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, but Russia's continued behaviour is forcing the White House to prepare for a tougher response.

This was stated by Mykhailo Podolyak, advisor to the head of the Presidential Office, during a telethon, as quoted by «Unian».

According to him, 20 April will become a kind of «psychological deadline», after which the situation may change dramatically. Russia is dragging its feet on agreeing to a ceasefire, while Ukraine quickly agreed to synchronise its actions for a peaceful settlement.

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Mykhailo Podolyak believes that Donald Trump, who is actively involved in the negotiation process, is seeking quick results. He has built the US position as the main mediator offering concrete solutions. However, Moscow's delaying of the negotiations and genocidal attacks on Ukraine are damaging the reputation of American diplomacy.

According to the advisor, after the deadline, the US will have to respond — either by imposing sanctions in the form of an embargo or by significantly increasing military support for Ukraine, including missile supplies.

As a reminder, Donald Trump has already expressed his dissatisfaction with Russia's intense shelling of Ukraine.

Earlier, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the Russian authorities should decide in the coming weeks whether they are ready to end a full-scale war. According to Marco Rubio, the US wants to end the war as soon as possible and needs to know whether Russia wants to do so.

It should be noted that the Donald Trump administration has been discussing the possibility that the United States will not be able to reach a peace agreement on Ukraine in the coming months. In this regard, new mechanisms are being developed to put pressure on both Kyiv and Moscow.

According to Reuters, after the latest rounds of talks, the White House and the State Department have concluded that Vladimir Putin is actively resisting US attempts to conclude a lasting peace agreement. Washington is discussing possible economic and diplomatic measures that could force the Kremlin to make concessions.

Although Trump has repeatedly stated that he trusts Putin and believes he is committed to peace, recent events have made the White House question the Russian leadership's intentions. The administration is considering additional sanctions and tariffs that could be imposed on Russia.

Meanwhile, Moscow has made it clear that American proposals to end the war are unacceptable to it, as they do not take into account the Kremlin's demands, which it calls the key causes of the conflict.