The diplomatic clock on the Ukraine conflict has been reset. President Donald Trump has imposed a new, urgent deadline of two weeks, transforming a years-long frozen conflict into a live crisis demanding immediate attention from the world’s major powers.
This move single-handedly changes the timeline and the stakes. The previous status quo, characterized by a slow-moving peace process, has been declared unacceptable by the White House.
The new timeline forces all parties to accelerate their decision-making. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has quickly affirmed his readiness for talks. Russian President Vladimir Putin has responded with a direct message to Trump. The pace of diplomacy has been dramatically increased.
Whether this reset clock will count down to a peace agreement or to a new phase of confrontation is the crucial question. Trump’s deadline has ensured that the world will not have to wait long to find out.