US President Donald Trump hopes to reach an agreement on resolving Russia’s war against Ukraine by fall 2026, linking the desired timeline to the US domestic political calendar, media outlets reported, citing The New York Times.
Earlier, a more immediate deadline of “by early summer” was publicly announced. Reuters, citing The New York Times, reported that the Trump administration is increasing pressure on Kyiv in an attempt to end the war “by early summer.” The deadline “by autumn” is tied to the US midterm elections, which are scheduled for November 3, 2026.
Meanwhile, European intelligence officials commented to Reuters that they were skeptical about the possibility of reaching a lasting agreement as early as 2026 and pointed out that, in their assessment, Russia was not showing any interest in real peace, using the negotiating track to obtain economic and sanctions concessions.