Bangladesh, April 22 -- The Easter ceasefire in Ukraine, which briefly raised hopes of a pause in hostilities, has faded into the background as both sides resume combat with renewed intensity. Thousands of violations were reported, and any illusion of de-escalation quickly vanished. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump, who is eyeing a second term and staking much of his foreign policy credibility on ending what he has dubbed a “Biden war,” is still without a concrete peace deal. His aspirations for a quick diplomatic resolution now appear mired in harsh geopolitical realities and growing internal opposition.

As Trump flirts with peace proposals and informal backchannel negotiations with Moscow, President Vladimir Putin is of...