(This article is part of the View From India newsletter curated by The Hindu’s foreign affairs experts. To get the newsletter in your inbox every Monday, subscribe here.)
U.S. President Donald Trump’s push to achieve a quick ceasefire in Ukraine has so far been unsuccessful. Under American pressure, Ukraine had earlier announced that it was ready to observe a 30-day interim ceasefire, an offer Russia rejected. Last month, Russia proposed a mutual pause on attacks on each country’s energy facilities—which the Kremlin said had expired last week. On Saturday (April 19, 2025), Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a 30-hour Easter ceasefire, which has also expired. Why does Mr. Trump find the diplomatic path so difficult? The answer lies in the fundamentally divergent positions of the different actors in the conflict. America wants a ceasefire and use the truce to build a reset in its ties with Russia. Russia wants a comprehensive peace agreement — not just a ceasefire — that addresses its core security concerns. Europe is wary of a complete Ukrainian capitulation because it thinks such an outcome would rewrite the continent’s security dynamics leaving Russia in a stronger position. And Ukraine wants to keep the right to rearm and remobilise its forces as part of any final agreement — which is unacceptable for Russia. In this news analysis, I explore the positions of all the key players in the conflict to understand why a ceasefire remains elusive.
The Trump administration is visibly upset about the lack of progress. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last week in Paris, after holding talks with European nations, that the U.S. would “move away” from its peace efforts if there is no progress “within days”. But the back story, according to American media reports, is that the U.S. has circulated a peace proposal, waiting for Ukrainian and European responses. The proposed plan mulls American recognition of Crimea, the Black Sea Peninsula annexed by Russia following a contentious referendum in 2014, as Russian territory, and freezing the conflict along the frontline (leaving the territories Russia captured since the war began in February 2022 in Russian hands). It also takes Ukraine’s NATO membership “off the table”. If Ukraine and Europe agree to the proposal, the Americans will take it to Moscow.
Mr. Putin’s Easter ceasefire is seen as a conciliatory move, but it’s not clear whether Moscow will accept the latest American proposal. While the proposal offers some key concessions to Russia (such as the recognition of Crimea and denying NATO membership to Ukraine), it stops short of addressing some other Russian demands such as recognition of the four Ukrainian territories Russia has annexed (and partly controls) since the war began (Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson) and demilitarising Ukraine. Russia has repeatedly stated that it would not accept foreign troops presence in Ukraine or continuing foreign arms supplies to Ukraine — a key sticking point in talks between Russia and the U.S. Russians believe if Ukraine remains a powerful military force, backed by NATO, across the contested border, it could lead to future conflicts, while Ukraine says it has a legitimate right to defend itself and get military support from its allies. But before he seeks Russian response, Mr. Trump has to first know whether his proposal has the backing of Ukraine and Europe. Recognition of Crimea itself would be a difficult choice for Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine’s President, who has repeatedly dismissed conceding territory to Russia. American officials will meet European and Ukrainian officials in London later this week when they will discuss the proposal further. Mr. Trump wants a quick response.
Crackdown on Indian students in the U.S.?
A survey, conducted by the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) that studied 327 responses to a research call, out of an estimated more than 4,000 visa revocation notices sent out in the last two months in the U.S., found half had gone to Indians. The study was described in a policy brief that found “50% of these students were from India, followed by 14% from China,” adding that other significant countries in the data included South Korea, Nepal, and Bangladesh. India has “raised concerns” with U.S. officials over the revocation issue, government sources told The Hindu, reports Suhasini Haidar. Two Indian researchers, Ranjani Srinivasan and Badar Khan Suri were among the first batch of students detained or told to “self-deport” in the first round of such notices. Subsequently, a number of Indian students have approached courts to have their SEVIS status restored, and MEA’s Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said last week that the Indian embassy and missions are “in touch” with affected students and were offering support.
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Published – April 21, 2025 12:09 pm IST