US President Donald Trump 's decision to cut the deadline for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is a show of strength that could bring peace closer. This was reported by Charter97.org with reference to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky on social network X.

Vladimir Putin has refused to meet Volodymyr Zelensky unless a peace deal is on the table ready to be finalised.

The Kremlin ruled out a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky before achieving major progress on a peace deal, raising doubt on ending the war before President Trump’s proposed 50-day deadline.

Delegations from Moscow and Kyiv discussed the possibility of a meeting between Ukrainian President and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin during talks in Istanbul this week, Volodymyr Zelensky said in comments released Friday.

President Trump said Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will hold peace talks, but Russia said not to expect that soon. "It's going to happen," Trump told reporters,

Russian forces, meanwhile, pounded four Ukrainian cities in nighttime attacks that officials said killed a child.

Ukrainian analysts have told Newsweek the move undoes a decade of democratic progress, although its president Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday he backed a new draft law aimed at strengthening the independence the anti-corruption institutions. Newsweek has contacted the Ukrainian president's office and the Kremlin for comment.

The Kremlin said yesterday that a summit between Russian president Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky could only happen as a final step to seal a peace deal. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that it was unlikely that such a meeting could occur by the end of next month,

Dmitry Peskov's statement comes as the 50-day deadline approaches for U.S. President Donald Trump to potentially impose sanctions on Moscow if Russia fails to agree to a peace deal.

Ukraine has proposed a fresh round of negotiations with Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said. Why It Matters Ceasefire talks pushed by the U.S have failed to yield progress toward an agreement after Russia refused to ink an American proposal that Ukraine agreed to back in March.