President Donald Trump made it clear on Tuesday that the real deadline for peace in Ukraine isn’t a date on the calendar—it’s when the war is finally over. Speaking aboard Air Force One on his way to Florida for Thanksgiving, Trump said U.S. negotiators were making solid progress with both Russia and Ukraine, and that Moscow had already agreed to certain concessions. As usual, he didn’t hand out spoilers, but the message was simple: things are moving.
A U.S.-based framework for ending the war made headlines last week, prompting critics to dust off their usual talking points, worrying that the administration might pressure Ukraine into a deal leaning toward Moscow. Of course, these are often the same people who couldn’t negotiate their way out of a parking lot, so the concern is noted.
Trump confirmed that his envoy, Steve Witkoff, will soon travel to Moscow for talks with Vladimir Putin. He also said Jared Kushner—known for brokering the Gaza deal that led to an uneasy ceasefire—was involved as well. When Kushner gets involved in diplomacy, the world tends to move, whether the foreign policy establishment likes it or not.
In recent days, Trump had mentioned wanting a deal by Thanksgiving. Naturally, the media treated it like he carved the date in stone, probably because nuance gives them hives. Now Trump and his team have clarified that there’s no firm deadline—just a desire to get an agreement as soon as possible, which is exactly what competent leadership sounds like.
Trump noted that Russia currently has the upper hand on the battlefield and emphasized that Ukraine would benefit from reaching a deal sooner rather than later. He even acknowledged that some Ukrainian territory might fall to Russia in the coming months regardless, a bit of realism Washington doesn’t usually like to hear.
He added that security guarantees for Ukraine are being negotiated with European partners—another sign that the administration is actually coordinating a plan instead of freelancing on the world stage.
For now, Trump’s team keeps pushing forward, cutting through chaos and confusion the way only they can. And with steady diplomatic pressure and experienced negotiators on the job, the door to real peace is still wide open.
