US President Donald Trump expects to reach an agreement on settling Russia’s war against Ukraine by autumn 2026, linking the desired timeline to the US domestic political calendar, the media reported citing The New York Times.
Earlier, an earlier timeframe – “before the beginning of summer” – was heard in the public field. Thus, Reuters, citing The New York Times, reported that the Trump administration is increasing pressure on Kiev as part of attempts to end the war “before early summer” (early summer). The term “before autumn” is tied to the midterm elections to the US Congress, which are scheduled for 3 November 2026.
Meanwhile, European intelligence officials in comments to Reuters expressed scepticism about the possibility of reaching a sustainable agreement as early as 2026 and pointed out that Russia, in their assessment, was not showing interest in real peace, using the negotiating track to obtain economic and sanctions concessions.