Florida [US], December 29 : Trump, who is known for setting deadlines on most issues, said he has no deadline this time for a Russia-Ukraine peace deal as he welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida on Sunday.
Speaking to reporters outside the resort, when asked whether he had set any deadline for ending the Russia-Ukraine war, Trump made it clear that he has no deadline for a peace deal this time.
"I don't have deadlines. You know what my deadline is, getting the war ended," Trump said.
The meeting and dinner hosted by the US President are underway at his club, with several Trump administration officials in attendance.
Along with Trump, his foreign envoy Steve Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine, White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, and others also attended the dinner.
Trump confirmed that after the talks with Zelenskyy, he will hold a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He also had a one-hour-and-15-minute phone conversation with Putin before meeting Zelenskyy.
Trump said he believes that both Putin and Ukraine are very serious about peace this time.
When asked if he thinks Putin is serious about peace, Trump said, "Yes, I do (believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin is serious about peace this time). I think he is. I think they both are... They have to make a deal... Too many people have died, and both Presidents want to make a deal," Trump said while speaking to reporters at Mar-a-Lago.
"I am also calling President Putin back after the meeting, and we will continue the negotiations, pretty complex, but not that complex," he added.
The meeting comes on the heels of a massive Russian attack on Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, which killed at least two people and injured several others.
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