'If it doesn't happen quickly, it may not happen at all' — Trump on peace in Ukraine

A peace deal to end Russia's war against Ukraine will happen "quickly" or not at all, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Feb. 27 during a joint press conference with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

The two leaders met earlier in the day for talks that focused heavily on Western allies' role in securing a lasting peace in Ukraine.

Trump said that steps towards a peace deal were "moving along pretty rapidly" and that he expected an agreement to be negotiated "fairly soon," or not at all.

"If it doesn't happen quickly, it may not happen at all," he said.

Trump has been pushing Ukraine and Russia to quickly negotiate a ceasefire, though no formal peace talks involving both Kyiv and Moscow have taken place. U.S. officials have held direct talks with Russian delegates in recent days, without Ukraine's participation.

The U.S. has also reached an agreement on critical mineral revenues with Ukraine that President Volodymyr Zelensky will sign during a visit to the White House on Feb. 28.

The minerals deal does not include ongoing security guarantees for Ukraine.

Starmer has pressed Trump to pledge U.S. backing for a European-led peacekeeping force that would deter future Russian aggression in Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire. No committments were announced following the meeting, though Starmer said he had "a very productive discussion" with Trump.

"The deal has to come first," Starmer said, adding that their respective teams would continue to talk about ways to make sure a future ceasefire holds.

Starmer reiterated the U.K.'s support for Ukraine and its plans to send record amounts of military aid to Kyiv this year. He insisted that a peace deal must be "backed by strength" and fair to Ukraine.

"It can't be peace that rewards the aggressor .... history must be on the side of the peacemaker, not the invader," he said.

The U.S. and U.K. are discussing a peace deal that would be "tough and fair" and shaped directly by Ukraine, Starmer said.

Starmer's visit to Washington comes shortly after French President Emmanuel Macron met with Trump at the White House to discuss European security interests and U.S. support for Ukraine. Starmer and Macron have championed a plan to deploy European peacekeeprs to Ukraine to monitor a ceasefire.

The Kremlin has said it would not accept European troops in Ukraine as a condition of a peace agreement.

What the US-Ukraine mineral deal actually means

As Kyiv and Washington celebrate agreeing to jointly develop Ukraine’s natural resources after weeks of tense negotiations, the deal still has a long way to go before the money starts flowing. Officials, experts, and those close to the deal say the current version of the agreement is an improvement

The Kyiv IndependentDominic Culverwell