U.S. President Donald Trump has warned that the war in Ukraine could drag on indefinitely unless a peace agreement is reached soon.
Speaking about ongoing diplomatic efforts, Trump stated that the U.S. is “working hard” to resolve the conflict and emphasized that progress is being made.
“I've had phone calls with [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky. And our team has spoken to the NATO Secretary General to end this war,” Trump said, as reported by The Moscow Times.
“I think we're making good progress, we're moving in the right direction. I think it's either going to happen very quickly or it's never going to happen.”
Ceasefire as a Step Toward Peace?
Trump reiterated that a ceasefire must pave the way for a full peace agreement, asserting that Putin would uphold any commitments he makes regarding Ukraine.
“I think he will do what he promises,” Trump said, dismissing concerns that Russia might resume hostilities after a settlement is reached.
Trump also announced that he would meet with Zelensky on February 28 to finalize an agreement on Ukraine’s natural resources, a deal that has stirred controversy in Kyiv.
On February 27, Trump pledged to push for Ukraine to regain “as much as possible” of the territory occupied by Russian forces, though he stopped short of specifying what that would mean in practice.
He acknowledged that Putin would have to make concessions but admitted that a final settlement remains uncertain, stating that “a lot of amazing things happen with deals.”
No Discussion on Occupied Territories
Despite Trump’s optimism, the Kremlin immediately dismissed the idea of returning captured Ukrainian land. Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stressed that Moscow does not expect "easy or quick decisions" regarding Ukraine.
“We have too complex and neglected a problem on our agenda,” Peskov said. However, he suggested that if the U.S. and Russia both maintain “political will,” a peace agreement could be reached.
Putin, for his part, has praised the Trump administration for its “pragmatism” and “realistic view of things,” claiming this gives “certain hopes” for improving U.S.-Russia relations.
