US President Donald Trump gave a two-week deadline on Thursday to score the prospects for peace between Russia and Ukraine, adding, “within two weeks we’re going to know one way or the other.” Talking to Newsmax host Todd Starnes, Trump hinted that going on “a different tack” would be the option if talks fail, without elaborating further.
The Republican leader, who campaigned on ending the war “in one day,” has since failed to achieve any breakthrough after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, more than three years ago. The cancelation of the ceasefire plan occurred after an unsuccessful summit with Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Earlier in the week, the White House welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and some European allies, with hopes arising of a Putin–Zelensky summit.
Zelensky, however, said that Moscow has been resisting going into direct talks and is devoid of willingness to end the war. To that, Russia responded by saying Kyiv is seeking “incompatible” security guarantees.
Trump himself has set up similar two-week timelines before, including when he promised in May to test the seriousness of Putin about peace. The most recent deadline only serves the urgent needs of the conflicting parties running the risk that the conflict could further deepen the already bitter trench of mistrust separating Kyiv from Moscow.
