The key facts

  • On November 5 at the White House, Trump called the Russia-Ukraine conflict a war and said the US would get it ended “fairly soon”
  • On November 1 he had already said a settlement was closer than ever, but many stages remained ahead
  • Russia and the US have begun coordinating a date for talks on Ukraine — Yuri Ushakov

Trump's new statement

US President Donald Trump, answering journalists' questions at the White House on November 5, once again expressed the view that the Ukrainian crisis will be resolved in the near future. “If you look at Russia and Ukraine, we are talking about a war. It is a war. By the way, we will get it ended fairly soon,” TASS quoted his words, citing a publication by Gazeta.Ru.

A series of statements over two weeks

This is not the first such statement by the American leader in a short period. On November 1, Trump said that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine could end in the near future, and that a settlement is now closer than ever, although along this path many more stages still need to be overcome. This is recalled by Gazeta.Ru in its publications of October 1 and October 22.

Context of the negotiating track

Against the backdrop of Trump's statements, the diplomatic track is also moving forward. Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said that Russia and the United States have begun coordinating a date for talks on Ukraine. Earlier, on October 21, he said that Vladimir Putin, during a meeting with White House special envoy Steve Witkoff, expressed readiness to resume trilateral talks. Thus, Trump's new statement came against the backdrop of a process that is, in fact, already underway to agree on the format and timing of negotiations, rather than in an informational vacuum — however, no specific date or agenda has been announced yet.