U.S. must fully arm Ukraine to push Russia towards ceasefire — international expert

He expressed this opinion on Espreso TV.

"Theoretically, it is indeed possible to force Russia into a full ceasefire along the entire front line. For this, the U.S. simply needs to flood Ukraine with various weapons. Since any sanctions against Russia will, at best, start to critically affect them in months, or even a year or more, and sanctions will not immediately impact the combat readiness of the Russian occupation army. The only thing that can influence the battlefield, and thus force the Russians to agree to a ceasefire, is a significant strengthening of Ukraine's defense capabilities. Or at least the prospect of such strengthening. If the Americans threatened Russia with providing Ukraine with all possible weapons if they refused to ceasefire, it could also accelerate the full cessation of hostilities on the battlefield from the Russians," explained Nesvitailov.

The expert is convinced that Russia will not adhere to the ceasefire agreement. Right now, the Russians are stalling.

"The Russians are trying to take advantage of the situation around a potential temporary truce. I don’t think they intend to seriously adhere to these agreements. Most likely, they have written some nonsense in their proposals and will drag out the process. Frankly, what’s happening right now is more of a political story than an economic one. Because for the minerals deal to take effect, the situation in Ukraine must stabilize," he added.

• U.S. President's Special Representative for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, stated on April 2 that the U.S. aims to achieve a full ceasefire, adding that neither side will get everything they want.
• On the same day, Fox News reported that U.S. President Donald Trump is disappointed with the actions of Russian leader Vladimir Putin and believes that he is stalling for time in negotiating a full ceasefire in Ukraine.