U.S. President Donald Trump told Reuters that Ukraine – not Russia – is holding up a potential peace deal, rhetoric that stands in marked contrast to that of European allies, who have consistently argued Moscow has little interest in ending its war in Ukraine.
In an exclusive interview in the Oval Office on Wednesday, Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to wrap up his nearly four-year-old invasion of Ukraine. Zelenskyy, the U.S. president said, was more reticent.
“I think he’s ready to make a deal,” Trump said of the Russian president. “I think Ukraine is less ready to make a deal.”
Asked why U.S.-led negotiations had not yet resolved Europe’s largest land conflict since World War Two, Trump responded: “Zelenskyy.”
Trump’s comments suggested renewed frustration with the Ukrainian leader. The two presidents have long had a volatile relationship, though their interactions seem to have improved over Trump’s first year back in office.
At times, Trump has been more willing to accept Putin’s assurances at face value than the leaders of some U.S. allies, frustrating Kyiv, European capitals and U.S. lawmakers, including some Republicans.
In December, Reuters reported that U.S. intelligence reports continued to warn that Putin had not abandoned his aims of capturing all of Ukraine and reclaiming parts of Europe that belonged to the former Soviet empire. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard disputed that report at the time.
Zelenskyy 'having a hard time getting there'
After several fits and starts, U.S.-led negotiations have been centered in recent weeks on security guarantees for a post-war Ukraine to ensure that Russia does not invade it again after a potential peace deal. In broad terms, U.S. negotiators have pushed Ukraine to abandon its eastern Donbas region as part of any accord with Russia.
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Ukrainian officials have been deeply involved in recent talks, which have been led on the U.S. side by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law. Some European officials have cast doubt on the likelihood of Putin agreeing to some terms recently hashed out by Kyiv, Washington and European leaders.
Trump told Reuters he was not aware of a potential upcoming trip to Moscow by Witkoff and Kushner, which Bloomberg reported earlier on Wednesday.
Asked if he would meet Zelenskyy at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, next week, Trump said he would but implied no plans were set.
“I would – if he’s there,” Trump said. “I’m going to be there.”
Asked why he believed Zelenskyy was holding back on negotiations, Trump did not elaborate, saying only: “I just think he’s, you know, having a hard time getting there.”
Zelenskyy has publicly ruled out any territorial concessions to Moscow, saying Kyiv has no right under the country’s constitution to give up any land.
Russia controls about a fifth of Ukraine, including the Crimean Peninsula, which it annexed in 2014. Moscow wants Kyiv to withdraw its troops from parts of the Donetsk region that Russia does not control but has claimed as its own. Ukraine wants the fighting halted along the current front lines. The U.S. has proposed a free economic zone if Ukraine pulls its troops back.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters when asked that he concurred with Trump’s view that Zelenskyy is holding up a deal.
“I agree, that is indeed the case,” he said. “President Putin and the Russian side remain open (to talks). The Russian position is well known. It is well known to the American negotiators, to President Trump, and to the leadership of the Kyiv regime.”
U.S.-led negotiations have been centered in recent weeks on security guarantees for a post-war Ukraine after a potential peace deal, though some European officials have cautioned Putin is highly unlikely to accept some of the terms.
Zelenskyy said in a social media post Wednesday that work toward deals with the U.S. “needs to be swift.”
“On our end, we are being as productive as possible. We also expect energy from the American side in their work,” he said.
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