ISTANBUL 

US envoy Steve Witkoff said on Tuesday that trilateral peace talks between the US, Russia and Ukraine had been pushed to the next week, while expressing continued optimism that a deal could be reached.

"That's a war that should end, and we're going to remain positive there," Witkoff told CNBC, describing the negotiation as "purposeful."

He said more progress had been made in the Geneva meetings than in the previous four years combined, an assessment the Trump envoy attributed to the Ukrainians themselves.

Witkoff acknowledged that the process was taking longer than US President Donald Trump had anticipated but pointed to a potential turning point. Both sides were showing signs of exhaustion, he said, describing that as "the beginning inflection point" toward peace.

Trump has previously said he wanted to end the Russia-Ukraine war within his first year in office. Talks have been ongoing since early 2025.

Trump made no ceasefire request to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin during their Monday phone call, and also did not set a new date for trilateral contacts, according to the Kremlin.