Former US President Donald Trump on Tuesday stepped back from a strict deadline for Ukraine to accept a US-backed peace plan with Russia, stating, “The deadline for me is when it’s over.”
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Florida for Thanksgiving, Trump confirmed that negotiations between US envoys, Russia, and Ukraine were ongoing, with Moscow reportedly offering undisclosed concessions.
Trump’s team includes envoy Steve Witkoff, who is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, and Jared Kushner, his son-in-law who played a key role in brokering the recent Gaza ceasefire.
Earlier, Trump had targeted Thanksgiving Thursday as the day for Ukraine to agree to the plan, raising concerns the US might pressure Kyiv into a deal favoring Moscow. However, he and his aides have now softened that stance, emphasizing a desire for a swift resolution rather than a fixed deadline.
Bloomberg News reported that Witkoff, in an October call with Putin aide Yuri Ushakov, proposed a ceasefire framework for Ukraine and suggested a Trump-Putin discussion before President Zelenskiy’s White House visit. Trump described such talks as “standard negotiation tactics” and unsurprising for a dealmaker.
Trump also hinted that Russia currently holds the upper hand in the war and that some Ukrainian territory could be taken in the coming months. He noted that security guarantees for Ukraine are being discussed with European partners.
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