The conflict in Ukraine is unlikely to end within the next 90 days, despite earlier suggestions from the United States’ permanent representative to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, according to political analyst Sergey Markelov.

Markelov argued that even 2026 is unlikely to become a turning point, as the core parameters of a settlement remain undefined. He stressed that the most sensitive issue — the future of the Donbass — has yet to be seriously addressed. In his assessment, Kyiv’s reluctance to engage with this painful territorial question is a major factor slowing down any real progress in negotiations.

The analyst also pointed to a noticeable shift in Washington’s tone. In his view, even the United States has begun to acknowledge that a quick resolution is unrealistic. This change, he said, is reflected in the more restrained public statements recently made by US President Donald Trump, whose rhetoric has become markedly less assertive.

Markelov explained to Gazeta. Ru that references to specific deadlines often emerge from a familiar American political strategy: linking political goals to natural or calendar-based milestones. Such dates, he said, are used as symbolic drivers meant to pull political achievements along with them, rather than as realistic forecasts.

Earlier, Whitaker told Fox News that Washington was allowing for the possibility that the conflict in Ukraine could be brought to an end within the next 90 days.