"I think we're going to get there. So I think we're very close to a deal," Trump said at a Thanksgiving event at the White House on Tuesday night.
In a post on Truth Social on Tuesday evening, Trump writes that his envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Moscow for talks with President Putin in parallel with Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll traveling to speak with the Ukrainian side "in hopes of completing this peace plan."
From Europe's side, the tone is considerably more skeptical that any kind of peace agreement is imminent.
It is clear that there is no Russian will for a ceasefire at the present time, he says in connection with a meeting with the "coalition of the willing", which includes some 30 countries allied with Ukraine. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also participated.
Ukrainian President Zelensky expresses gratitude to the countries in the coalition after the meeting, but at the same time notes the brutality of the Russian attacks on Ukraine.
Continued brutality
"Russia's war against Ukraine is not over yet – every day Russians are killing our people on the front lines, and attacking our cities and our energy facilities. So while diplomatic efforts continue, it is absolutely crucial that our partners do not forget that Ukraine still needs defense support, security support, and support for our resistance – every day," Zelensky writes on X, and continues:
"It is important that we work to gain support for both our defense and diplomacy. Today's talks with 40 members of the 'Coalition of the Willing' confirm that."
For her part, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen writes in a post on X that "significant and encouraging progress" has been made in recent days, but also emphasizes that increased pressure on the Kremlin is needed.
"Since pressure remains the only language that Russia responds to, we will continue to increase the pressure until there is a genuine willingness to engage in a credible path towards peace."
Russian responsibility
Similar tones are heard from Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, who says in a written comment that the Russians have "every opportunity" to end the war:
“But so far we have not seen any indication that they are ready to engage constructively in serious negotiations.”
The comments come amid intense negotiations over a peace settlement. There is still no indication that Kiev and Moscow have agreed on the most difficult issues, including what will happen to the Russian-occupied territories and security guarantees for Ukraine.
