US President-elect Trump has reiterated his hope to end the war in Ukraine within six months, though commented that he “understands Russia’s feelings” about its opposition to Ukraine joining NATO. He said there had always been an “understanding” that Ukraine will not be part of NATO, which was part of a previous mutually acceptable “deal”. Meanwhile, analysts at the Ukrainian Institute for Economic Research forecast economic growth of 3% this year, down from 3.8% in 2024.