US President Donald Trump said in a radio interview that he thinks Thursday is an appropriate deadline for Ukraine to accept a US-backed peace proposal to end Russia's war in the country.
At the same time, the Russian President Vladimir Putin said he thinks the plan "can be a basis for a peaceful resolution," according to Reuters.
"I've had a lot of deadlines, but if things are working well, you tend to extend the deadlines. But Thursday is what we think is an appropriate time," Trump told Fox News Radio’s The Brian Kilmeade Show on Friday.
According to Reuters, Putin said he had received the proposal from the US and it "could work as a final resolution," but also added that "Ukraine was against it" and that Russia was "ready to resolve this peacefully, but only if details of the plan were discussed."
Ukraine, Europe to propose new deal
EU leaders will meet on Saturday in the margins of the G20 meeting in Johannesburg to discuss the situation in Ukraine, EU leaders Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa said on Friday.
"We have spoken to President Zelensky. We have discussed the current situation, and we are clear that there should be nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine," Costa and von der Leyen said in a statement on X.
Zelensky himself also reacted to the proposal, saying he spoke with US Vice President JD Vance and that Ukraine would work with the United States and Europe at an advisor level to pursue a peace plan for his country's war with Russia.
"We agreed to work together with the US and Europe at the level of national security advisors to make the path to peace truly doable," he said on X after the nearly hour-long call.
"Ukraine has always respected and continues to respect U.S. President Donald Trump's desire to put an end to the bloodshed, and we view every realistic proposal positively."
Finally, Zelensky also spoke with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte about the "available diplomatic options" to end his country's war with Russia. "We discussed the available diplomatic options and the plan proposed by the American side," he wrote on X. "We are ready to work swiftly and constructively to ensure it succeeds. We are coordinating our next joint steps."
This is a developing story.