Trump has been motivated by his effort to portray himself as a peacemaker and perhaps win a Nobel Prize. While Ukraine and Russia could each make some compromises, major obstacles are likely to remain insurmountable, signaling just how far they are from an agreement. In that meeting, Zelensky asked Trump to consider extending proposed security guarantees for Ukraine to 50 years, up from 15 — which he later announced that Trump said he would consider. Drone allegations aside, the long-standing, irreconcilable differences between Russia and Ukraine are the main hurdle to ending the war. Russia has already warned it would view any foreign troops in Ukraine as a target.

Source: Washington Post January 01, 2026 10:03 UTC