Trump issues ultimatum to Russia, Ukraine — U.S. special representative Witkoff

Witkoff said this in an interview with Breitbart News Network. 

According to him, Trump gave an ultimatum to Russia and Ukraine that they must make progress toward achieving a lasting peace, otherwise the United States will withdraw from the negotiations.  

“The president has issued an ultimatum to both sides that without those direct talks and if they don’t occur quickly, then he believes the United States ought to step back from this conflict whatever that means and just not be involved. This is something that we want to mediate. It’s not our war. We didn’t start the war, but we want to help to end it,” the diplomat said.  

He added that the U.S. president called the war in Ukraine “stupid” and said “it should not have happened” if “there had not been fake elections, and he had been president.”  

“I think that we have to put everybody in a room. Solutions work when there are direct talks. We need to get the Ukrainians and the Russians at the same table,” Witkoff said.  

• During a nighttime address on May 11, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin stated that he is supposedly ready for direct talks with the Ukrainian side in Turkey as early as next week. At the same time, he ignored the idea of a 30-day ceasefire. In response, American leader Donald Trump said he would continue to work with both sides, and that the coming week would be “big.” 
• On May 12, the German government stated that if Russia does not agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine by the end of the day, European partners will begin the process of preparing new sanctions. Meanwhile, the Kremlin said that “the language of ultimatums is unacceptable for Russia.”