Trump’s special envoy and son-in-law, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, respectively, were in Moscow this week to discuss the US-proposed peace deal. But an 11-hour-long journey to the Kremlin proved futile after no breakthrough was reached on the agreement
US President Donald Trump loves to set deadlines, but most of them are often missed by the parties they are imposed on. In the latest example of another deadline missed, Russia and Ukraine have passed the Thanksgiving time limit set by the US president to end the war.
Trump’s special envoy and son-in-law, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, respectively, were in Moscow this week to discuss the US-proposed peace deal. But an 11-hour-long journey to the Kremlin proved futile after no breakthrough was reached on the agreement.
Ukraine is not ready to budge on territory, while Russia refuses to make any concessions either. The land part of the deal is the key sticking point between the two parties and no amount of deadlines is affecting Russia or Ukraine to reach a deal.
From 50 days to 12 days
In July, Trump told Russia to resolve its war on Ukraine within 50 days or face massive new economic sanctions as he laid out plans for new infusions of weaponry for Kyiv.
“We’re very, very unhappy” with Russia, Trump told reporters at the time.
“We’re going to be doing very severe tariffs if we don’t have a deal in 50 days, tariffs at about 100%,” said Trump, adding that they would be “secondary tariffs” that target Russia’s remaining trade partners — thereby seeking to cripple Moscow’s ability to survive already sweeping Western sanctions.
He later shortened the deadline to 10-12 days as his frustration with Putin grew.
‘Will end the war in a day’
Earlier this year, the US president made another tall claim, asserting that he would solve the Russia-Ukraine war within 24 hours of taking office. He took office in January 2025.
“That is a war that’s dying to be settled. I will get it settled before I even become president,” Trump said in 2024.
“I know [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelenskyy very well, and I know [Russian President Vladimir] Putin very well. I have a good relationship and they respect your president, OK, they respect me. They don’t respect Biden,” Trump added.
His envoy sets deadlines, too
Trump’s special envoy for Russia and Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, had said in January that Potus aimed at settling the war within 100 days of taking office.
“This is a war that needs to end, and I think he can do it in the near term,” Kellogg said.
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