It was unexpected, barely implemented and not even extended. But the Kremlin’s hopelessly short-lived Easter truce was aimed directly at US President Donald Trump and at shifting blame for his disastrous peacemaking efforts in the Ukraine war.

Russia and Ukraine on Sunday accused each other of violating an Easter truce as US President Donald Trump surprisingly announced that the war rivals could make a "deal" this week.

President Putin and the Russian side remain open to the search for a peaceful settlement and continue working with the American side. And of course, we hope this work will bear fruit,” Peskov said, commenting on Trump’s statement.

President Vladimir Putin and Russia remain open to finding a settlement to the Ukraine crisis, and work with the U.S. is ongoing, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. (Reporting by Dmitry Antonov; Writing by Gleb Stolyarov;

Moscow said it was pleased with a Trump administration proposal to rule out Ukraine joining NATO as a way to end the war but showed no urgency in reaching a deal.

United States special envoy to Russia and Ukraine General Keith Kellogg said Sunday (April 20) that President Donald Trump’s team will return to London this week for ceasefire talks on Ukraine, but a NATO membership was "off the table".