Trump Pressures Kyiv: “Act Fast Before Moscow Backs Out of Peace Talks”

US President Donald Trump has issued an urgent appeal to Ukraine, urging the nation to accelerate negotiations toward a peace agreement with Russia. Speaking from the Oval Office on Thursday, Trump emphasized the time-sensitive nature of the diplomatic window, warning that delays could prompt Russia to reconsider its current negotiating position. His comments come as high-level discussions between American envoys and both Ukrainian and Russian delegations intensify across multiple cities.
The president’s remarks underscore growing concerns in Washington about the fragility of the current diplomatic momentum. Trump specifically cautioned that Russia’s willingness to engage could evaporate if Ukraine doesn’t move swiftly to finalize terms. “Every time they take too much time, then Russia changes their mind,” he told reporters, highlighting the unpredictable nature of Moscow’s approach to the negotiations.
This weekend, Trump’s special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are scheduled to meet with a Russian delegation in Miami, Florida. The meeting follows two intensive days of negotiations with Ukrainian representatives in Berlin, Germany, marking a critical phase in efforts to broker an end to the devastating conflict that has raged since February 2022.
Despite optimistic signals from both Ukrainian President Zelensky and US officials about progress in the talks, fundamental disagreements remain. Ukraine has drawn a firm red line against surrendering any territory to Russia, particularly the strategically important Donbas region. This stance directly contradicts Russia’s core demand that territorial concessions form the basis of any peace settlement.
The territorial dispute centers on regions Russia has occupied since its 2014 annexation of Crimea and its 2022 invasion, which brought parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson under Moscow’s control. Russia insists Ukraine must withdraw entirely from the Donbas region—comprising Donetsk and Luhansk—as a precondition for ending hostilities. With both sides holding firm on incompatible positions, negotiators face the daunting challenge of bridging a seemingly unbridgeable divide while the window for diplomacy remains uncertain.