Donald Trump will aim to end the war in Ukraine within 100 days of re-entering the White House, the president-elect's pick for special peace envoy has said.
It followed Mr Trump, who had previously pledged he could solve the conflict within 24 hours, backtracking on that idea when he confirmed during a press conference talks would not begin until after his inauguration on January 20.
Keith Kellogg, a retired US general, told Fox News he would look to broker a "solid and sustainable" agreement to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine by May.
"I think they will come to a solvable solution in the near term. When I say near term, I would like to set a goal on a personal level, on a professional level," he said.
"I would say let's set it at 100 days and move back."
Speculation had been mounting that the incoming US administration may force Ukraine to give up land to Russia in return for peace.
But Mr Kellogg dismissed the suggestion, saying: "People need to understand, [Trump's] not trying to give something to Putin or to the Russians."
"He's actually trying to save Ukraine and save their sovereignty."
He accepted that, after a war lasting almost three years between the two countries, securing a ceasefire would be a challenge.
"[It's] a tough one," he said.
Trump says he understands Russia's NATO 'feelings'
Mr Trump, who has repeatedly said he has good relations with President Vladimir Putin, told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida this week his self-imposed 24-hour deadline on the conflict's resolution would be extended.
In a significant departure from Joe Biden's messaging, Mr Trump also said he sympathised with Moscow's concerns about NATO.
"I hope to have six months. No, I would think, I hope long before six months," he said.
He added: "A big part of the problem is, Russia — for many, many years, long before Putin — said, 'You could never have NATO involved with Ukraine'. Now, they've said that. That's been, like, written in stone.
"And somewhere along the line Biden said, 'No. They should be able to join NATO'. Well, then Russia has somebody right on their doorstep, and I could understand their feelings about that."
The military alliance has previously suggested Ukraine may be offered membership, at some point in the future.
There has been no discussion about a timeline.
Mr Zelenskyy met with Ukraine's Western allies in Germany on Thursday for the last time before power changes hands in the White House.
"It's clear that a new chapter starts for Europe and the entire world just 11 days from now," Mr Zelenskyy said.
"We have to co-operate even more, rely on each other even more and achieve greater results together."
Deal could 'undermine' Ukraine's democracy
Analysts have raised concerns about Mr Trump's new target.
Orysia Lutsevych, deputy director of the Russia and Eurasia Programme and head of the Ukraine Forum at the British foreign affairs think tank Chatham House, told the ABC a rushed peace deal carried significant risks and may be a "trap".
"First of all, it will undermine any prospect of a democratic Ukraine, because Russia will try to interfere in elections inside Ukraine to install a puppet regime," she said.
"There will be no foreign direct investment coming to rebuild the war-torn country and we will have huge migration flows going mainly into Europe of people, after the opening of the borders, after the ending of martial law, seeking a better future.
"And, most importantly, it will embolden Putin to a more militaristic agenda by claiming even partial success, so the deterrent must be put on day one after the ceasefire must be carefully planned otherwise it will turn into a bitter pill and Trump may face a much more antagonistic Russia several years down the line."
