Trump gives two weeks to assess Russia-Ukraine peace prospects
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Firefighters working at the site of a Russian missile strike in a village on the outskirts of Lviv, Ukraine, on Aug 21.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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- Trump sets a two-week deadline to assess Russia-Ukraine peace talks, aiming to achieve a breakthrough in ending the war soon.
- Zelensky accuses Russia of avoiding meetings, while Russia says Ukraine isn't interested in long-term peace, creating obstacles.
- Trump met Putin on Aug 15 and previously promised to end the war quickly but may take a "different tack" if no progress.
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WASHINGTON - Donald Trump on Aug 21 set a two-week timeframe for assessing peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, as the US president ramps up his efforts to negotiate an end to the war.
“I would say within two weeks we’re going to know one way or the other,” he said in a telephone interview when asked about the chances of a peace agreement.
“After that, we’ll have to maybe take a different tack,” Mr Trump told Mr Todd Starnes, a host for right-wing media outlet Newsmax, without giving further details.
The Republican, who had promised during 2024’s presidential election to end the war in one day, has so far failed to achieve any major breakthroughs – more than three years since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
He met Russian President Vladimir Putin on Aug 15 at a highly anticipated summit
On Aug 18, the US president held talks at the White House
Those meetings raised hopes that Mr Putin and Mr Zelensky could meet directly for a peace summit, as both leaders initially appeared open to that option.
But Mr Zelensky on Aug 21 accused Russia of “trying to avoid the necessity to meet” and said that it did not want to end the war.
Russia, meanwhile, said that Ukraine did not seem to be interested in “long-term” peace, accusing Kyiv of seeking security guarantees completely incompatible with Moscow’s demands.
Mr Trump has a track record of issuing two-week deadlines to deliberate on Ukraine and other issues.
In late May, he said he would assess within that period whether Mr Putin was serious about achieving a peace deal, promising to respond “differently” if not. AFP
