Trump Plans US Ukraine Approach Shift If No Peace Progress

US President Donald Trump has stated that the next two weeks will reveal whether progress toward resolving the Ukraine conflict is possible, warning that if Russian President Vladimir Putin does not end the war by then, the US may change its tactics. Trump indicated a potential shift away from direct US involvement in peace negotiations, hoping that Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy might organize a bilateral meeting independently. His rhetoric marks a notable change, suggesting that Ukraine should be allowed to go on the offensive against Russia, contrasting prior US policy that limited Ukrainian strikes into Russian territory. Trump's stance has raised concerns in Moscow, which views support for Ukrainian attacks on its soil as a red line, especially after Russia updated its nuclear doctrine. Experts warn that any territorial concessions to Russia could embolden Putin to pursue further invasions in Europe, including Moldova and the Baltic states, using a peace deal in Ukraine as a strategic pause to rebuild militarily for future aggression. Putin's demands for resolving the conflict focus on Ukraine abandoning its NATO aspirations, accepting neutrality, and installing a pro-Russian regime, but experts believe this would only be a temporary measure before further Russian expansion.