Europeans blame Moscow for thwarting Trump peace bid in Ukraine

4/4/2025 16:45

European foreign ministers at a NATO meeting blamed Russia on Friday for thwarting a U.S. push for peace in the Ukraine war, in a clear bid to persuade the Trump administration to take a harder line towards Moscow.



U.S. President Donald Trump, who has promised to bring a quick end to the three-year-old war, has for weeks said he believes Russia's Vladimir Putin is committed to peace. But the White House has grown wary of Putin's intentions in recent days, sources have told Reuters.



Moscow rejected a U.S. proposal in March for a full 30-day ceasefire after Ukraine said it would agree. The warring sides then agreed to a limited pause in attacks on each other's energy infrastructure, which both accuse the other of violating.



German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Putin's talk of negotiations was "nothing but empty promises" and accused the Russian leader of "playing for time by raising ever new demands".



French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Moscow "owes an answer to the United States, that have worked very hard to come up with a mediation effort and a ceasefire proposal."