WASHINGTON, Dec 18 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday said he believes talks toward ending the war in Ukraine are “getting close to something” ahead of a U.S. meeting with Russian officials this weekend.
During an Oval Office event, Trump told reporters, “I hope Ukraine moves quickly.”
Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner plan to meet a Russian delegation in Miami this weekend, a White House official said, as they continue trying to coax an agreement out of both Russia and Ukraine to end Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Witkoff and Kushner met a Ukrainian delegation over two days in Berlin on Sunday and Monday and U.S. officials said they came away with a belief that the two sides are not far apart, although the thorniest issue, Russia’s insistence on gaining Ukrainian territory in any settlement, remains outstanding.
Opinion polls in Ukraine have shown that few Ukrainians are willing to accept territorial concessions, which remain a key Russian condition for ending its war. The Russians have shown little willingness to compromise on their demands.
“I hope Ukraine moves quickly because Russia is there,” Trump said, an apparent reference to recent Russian gains on the battlefield.
Ukraine could receive security guarantees modeled on NATO’s Article 5 mutual defense pledge under a proposed peace deal with Russia — an unprecedented offer aimed at ending the war sparked by Moscow’s 2022 invasion.
(Reporting by Steve Holland; Writing by Jasper Ward; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama )
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