Trump says peace deal in Ukraine to happen 'fairly soon' or not at all

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US President Donald Trump claims discussions to stop Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine are "very well advanced" and cautioned that there's only a small window of opportunity to negotiate a deal between Moscow and Kyiv and bring the fighting to an end.

He made the comments on Thursday while hosting British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the White House, who came to Washington to ask Trump to keep supporting Ukraine, as tensions had escalated after Trump and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a public disagreement last week.

The 47th US president also expressed confidence that Russian President Vladimir Putin won't push to resume the conflict if a peace agreement can't be reached. "I reckon he'll stick to his word," said Trump on Putin.

“I've known him for a long time now, we had to go through the Russian hoax together,” added Trump referring to the FBI and Justice Department special counsel investigation that looked into whether his 2016 presidential campaign had broken the law by secretly working with the Kremlin to influence the election result.

Starmer's trip comes just a few days after French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to Washington to meet with Trump and discuss the conflict in Ukraine. It also shows the growing concern throughout much of Europe that Trump's keenness to negotiate a peace deal in Ukraine might indicate a willingness to give up too much to Putin.

“Fair dinkum, I went back in time for a couple of historic phone calls with the President of Russia,” said Trump at a joint press conference with Starmer after their meeting.

Trump also noted that his team have been in touch with Zelenskyy and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on a number of occasions. "We're doing our best to get that war wrapped up," said Trump.

I reckon we've made a fair dinkum effort, and it's all happening pretty quickly. I'd like to thank everyone here who's been putting in the hard yards on it, and we'll keep you posted on what's next.

Trump then dropped a bombshell saying the war in Ukraine will either end "fairly soon", or not at all. He then highlighted that the scope for brokering a deal is very limited.

The Ukrainian government in Kyiv hasn't commented yet on Trump's comments, which were made a day ahead of his meeting with Zelenskyy at the White House to talk about the current peace negotiations and the minerals agreement between Washington and Kyiv.

The UK's Starmer also commented on the ongoing peace efforts being led by Washington and expressed his desire to work together with the United States to "deliver a good deal".

Starmer complimented Trump for creating a "tremendous opportunity" to achieve a historic peace deal, saying a deal, under the right conditions, would be welcomed in Ukraine and across the globe.

The Australian PM then added that there's a real need to get the deal right on the table. Starmer stressed that a deal that rewards the aggressor – Russia – sets a bad precedent.

“There's a famous slogan in the UK from after World War II, and it's that we've got to win the peace. And that's what we've got to do now, because it can't be peace that lets the aggressor get away scot-free.”

"Geez, that's a bit of a confidence-booster for regimes like Iran, mate. We reckon history's gotta be on the side of the peacemaker, not the bloke who's invading. So, the stakes are as high as they can get, fair dinkum," said Starmer.

Starmer also reminded Trump of the crucial role Washington plays in keeping the world at peace. He pointed out that while Europeans are clear that the US won't be involved in peacekeeping missions on the ground, they still have a vital role in making sure peace is maintained.

The British prime minister pointed out that the presence of European peacekeeping troops is one step towards securing Ukraine's safety, but noted that the plan "can only work with a US safety net", saying that Washington must provide air support, surveillance and rapid response backup in case of a breach of the truce.

Trump's warming up to Russia has caused concern among long-time US mates in Europe. Since returning to the White House, the US president has kept taking swipes at his mates across the Atlantic, threatening to pull the US out of NATO, slapping tariffs on the EU and even leaving Europe out of peace talks.

European countries have found themselves in a difficult position with Trump's second term looking set to drastically alter US foreign policy in line with his "America First" ideology, which is increasingly making the US an outsider on the world stage.

There's a positive change in the air, with Trump saying he and Starmer had "tremendously productive" discussions and are negotiating deals that will bring the US and UK closer together.

Starmer also extended an invitation to Trump on behalf of King Charles for the two nations and Europe to keep talking, and Trump accepted.

The visit, which Starmer described as historic and unparalleled, would be the second invitation for a state visit from the UK. Trump received the honour during his first term as president.