Donald Trump has set his deadline for a ceasefire in Ukraine as the US and Russia brace for weeks of "difficult" negotiations.
In a symbolic olive branch to Russia, the US President is looking to bring the fighting to an end by April 20 - which marks Easter Sunday in both Western and Eastern sects of Christianity.
Top White House officials are set to hold separate meetings with Russian and Ukrainian representatives in Saudi Arabia this week, for talks on a partial truce.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials will meet US mediators on Monday in what is thought to be the first set of parallel negotiations since the opening weeks of Russia's invasion in 2022.
On Sunday, Trump's Russian envoy Steve Witkoff said the Monday meetings could open the door to a "full-on" ceasefire and bring the war to an end.
"I feel that (Russian President Vladimir Putin) wants peace," Witkoff told Fox News.
"I think that you're going to see in Saudi Arabia on Monday some real progress, particularly as it affects a Black Sea ceasefire on ships between both countries. And from that, you'll naturally gravitate into a full-on shooting ceasefire."
But the Kremlin has distanced itself from the Easter deadline - with Vladimir Putin's spin doctor Dmitry Peskov warning: "We are only at the beginning of this path".
Peskov also took a series of swipes at Ukraine today after Volodymyr Zelensky's forces battered Russian energy infrastructure for yet another night.
LATEST ON UKRAINE:
"While the Russian side has been sticking to its word for several days now, the word that the president gave, and to the President's command, which immediately came into force and was immediately implemented, and is still being implemented, the same cannot be said of the Kyiv regime", Peskov said.
Putin agreed to suspend such attacks in a phone call with Trump last week - but Kyiv has accused Russia of not abiding by its President's order.
Following the call, Russia and Ukraine accused each other on Friday of destroying a Russian gas station in a border town where Ukrainian troops have been retreating.
Russia then said that it reserves the right to a "symmetrical response" to Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy facilities.
When asked if Ukraine's alleged violation of the agreement could bring forward another Putin-Trump call, Peskov said: "Absolutely. The presidents confirmed their intention to continue contacts as necessary."
The comms chief also hinted that there may have been more than the two officially-recorded calls between the American and Russian leaders.
"Listen, we inform you about the conversations that we are aware of. But we can't rule out everything else," Peskov said.
He added that the latest phone call between Putin and Trump was "a step towards a face-to-face meeting" - and said Monday's Saudi talks would also be such a step.
Also on Sunday, Zelensky said his country's delegation to the talks was working in "a completely constructive manner".
"The conversation is quite useful, the work of the delegations is continuing," he said.
"But no matter what we say to our partners today, we need to get Putin to give a real order to stop the strikes."
Find Out More...
In a symbolic olive branch to Russia, the US President is looking to bring the fighting to an end by April 20 - which marks Easter Sunday in both Western and Eastern sects of Christianity.
Top White House officials are set to hold separate meetings with Russian and Ukrainian representatives in Saudi Arabia this week, for talks on a partial truce.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials will meet US mediators on Monday in what is thought to be the first set of parallel negotiations since the opening weeks of Russia's invasion in 2022.
On Sunday, Trump's Russian envoy Steve Witkoff said the Monday meetings could open the door to a "full-on" ceasefire and bring the war to an end.
"I feel that (Russian President Vladimir Putin) wants peace," Witkoff told Fox News.
"I think that you're going to see in Saudi Arabia on Monday some real progress, particularly as it affects a Black Sea ceasefire on ships between both countries. And from that, you'll naturally gravitate into a full-on shooting ceasefire."
But the Kremlin has distanced itself from the Easter deadline - with Vladimir Putin's spin doctor Dmitry Peskov warning: "We are only at the beginning of this path".
Peskov also took a series of swipes at Ukraine today after Volodymyr Zelensky's forces battered Russian energy infrastructure for yet another night.
LATEST ON UKRAINE:
- Ex-MI6 boss says he is 'pleased' that Labour is 'paying a lot of attention' to defence and security
- Putin bombs Ukrainian energy plant JUST HOURS after promising Trump strikes would stop
- Trump issues WW3 warning after admitting Putin left call with 'advantage' before launching attack
"While the Russian side has been sticking to its word for several days now, the word that the president gave, and to the President's command, which immediately came into force and was immediately implemented, and is still being implemented, the same cannot be said of the Kyiv regime", Peskov said.
Putin agreed to suspend such attacks in a phone call with Trump last week - but Kyiv has accused Russia of not abiding by its President's order.
Following the call, Russia and Ukraine accused each other on Friday of destroying a Russian gas station in a border town where Ukrainian troops have been retreating.
Russia then said that it reserves the right to a "symmetrical response" to Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy facilities.
When asked if Ukraine's alleged violation of the agreement could bring forward another Putin-Trump call, Peskov said: "Absolutely. The presidents confirmed their intention to continue contacts as necessary."
The comms chief also hinted that there may have been more than the two officially-recorded calls between the American and Russian leaders.
"Listen, we inform you about the conversations that we are aware of. But we can't rule out everything else," Peskov said.
He added that the latest phone call between Putin and Trump was "a step towards a face-to-face meeting" - and said Monday's Saudi talks would also be such a step.
Also on Sunday, Zelensky said his country's delegation to the talks was working in "a completely constructive manner".
"The conversation is quite useful, the work of the delegations is continuing," he said.
"But no matter what we say to our partners today, we need to get Putin to give a real order to stop the strikes."
Find Out More...