Trump Says Hopes for Russia-US Deal to be Made in Coming Week

"Hopefully Russia and Ukraine will make a deal this week. Both will then start to do big business with the United States of America," he wrote on his Truth Social network, TASS reported.

At a meeting with Valery Gerasimov, the Chief of the General Staff, on April 19, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced an Easter truce until 12:00 a.m. Moscow time (9:00 p.m. GMT) on April 21. He also urged Kiev to follow suit.

Gerasimov issued a corresponding order to Russian troops engaged in the special military operation. The truce came into effect from 6:00 p.m. Moscow time (3:00 p.m. GMT) on April 19.

Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said on Sunday that the Easter truce will expire this night and there had been no orders from Putin to extend it.