US President Donald Trump on Thursday gave a two-week time frame to assess the prospects of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, signaling a possible shift in strategy if no progress is made.
Speaking in a phone interview with Newsmax host Todd Starnes, Trump said:
“I would say within two weeks we’re going to know one way or the other. After that, we’ll have to maybe take a different tack.”
The remarks come days after Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, a highly anticipated summit that produced no breakthrough and saw Trump abandon his push for an immediate ceasefire. Earlier this week, Trump also hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and several European allies at the White House in a bid to revive diplomatic momentum.
While there had been speculation that Putin and Zelensky might meet directly, optimism has since dimmed. Zelensky on Thursday accused Russia of trying to avoid serious talks, while Moscow countered that Kyiv’s demands for security guarantees were “incompatible” with its position.
Trump has previously set similar two-week deadlines on Ukraine, including in May when he said he would judge Putin’s seriousness about peace within that period. More than three years since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, however, no significant progress has been achieved, despite Trump’s campaign pledge to end the war “in one day.”
The coming fortnight will therefore test whether Trump’s intensified diplomatic push can bring both sides closer to negotiations — or whether the conflict will remain locked in stalemate.
