**Trump Team Admits Ukraine Peace Settlement Could Take Months**
US President-elect Donald Trump‘s team has accepted that settling the Russia-Ukraine war could take several months, according to Reuters. This is a change from Trump’s previous promise to end the war in 24 hours.
Trump had promised to stop Russia’s war against Ukraine quickly, but now his advisors say it will take longer due to the complexity of the conflict and the time needed to staff a new administration. They also say that finding a peace agreement will require concessions from both sides.
**Peace Talks Ahead**
One of Trump’s top advisors on Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, is set to meet with Ukrainian officials after Trump’s inauguration on January 20. He will also visit other European capitals to discuss the war. Trump has called for more European leadership to end the war and has suggested sending European peacekeepers.
Marco Rubio, Trump’s pick for secretary of state, said that both Russia and Ukraine need to be “realistic” in their demands during peace negotiations. He suggested that a concession from Russia would be to stop advancing, while Ukraine’s concession could be to give up some of its territory currently under Russian control.
**War Continues**
The war between Russia and Ukraine continues with no end in sight. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on January 15 that the US cannot be a neutral mediator in peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, and that they should recognize Russia as an aggressor.
Zelensky also emphasized that continued weapons shipments, NATO accession, and EU membership are key security guarantees for Ukraine. He said that the country cannot reduce its military size and needs to maintain a large military as a “security guarantee” ahead of potential peace negotiations.
**Recent Developments**
Russian forces have occupied the Zaporizhzhia plant, Europe’s largest nuclear station, since March 2022. Ukrainian forces captured 23 Russian soldiers in combat operations in Donetsk Oblast on January 15.
An oil depot in Russia’s Voronezh region caught fire after multiple drone strikes on January 15. Russia will allegedly demand that Ukraine cut its ties with NATO and become a “neutral state” during talks with Trump, according to Bloomberg.
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