Trump ramps up pressure on Ukraine again ahead of Miami peace negotiations: "Russia is there"

Washington DC - President Donald Trump on Thursday urged Ukraine to move "quickly" on a deal to end Russia's invasion, ahead of fresh talks expected in Miami this weekend.

President Donald Trump (r.) urged his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky to move "quickly" on proposals for a settlement in the war with Russia.
President Donald Trump (r.) urged his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky to move "quickly" on proposals for a settlement in the war with Russia.  © Collage: REUTERS

"Well, they're getting close to something, but I hope Ukraine moves quickly. I hope Ukraine moves quickly because Russia is there," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

"And you know, every time they take too much time, then Russia changes their mind."

Trump has been pushing for a quick deal to end the fighting, and negotiating teams have proposed draft plans to end the war sparked by Russia's 2022 invasion.

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US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner are expected to meet Ukraine's negotiator Rustem Umerov in Florida this weekend, a White House official told AFP.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had earlier said that Kyiv's officials would meet US counterparts on Friday and Saturday.

Witkoff and Kushner pair will also separately meet Russian officials in Miami, the official said. Putin's economic envoy Kirill Dmitriev is set to be in the Russian delegation, per Politico.

Russia has yet to react to the latest proposals and Vladimir Putin has repeated that Moscow intends to pursue its maximalist military aims in Ukraine.

Ukraine and the US say there has been progress on the question of future security guarantees for Kyiv, but there are disagreements on what territory Ukraine would have to cede.

Cover photo: Collage: REUTERS

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