President Donald Trump is placing responsibility for stalled U.S.-backed peace efforts in Ukraine on an unexpected person: Ukraine’s own leader.
When asked why talks have failed to move forward, Trump pointed to President Volodymyr Zelensky. Pressed on what is blocking progress, he offered a one-word response to Reuters: “Zelensky.”
Trump also claimed Russia is prepared to end the war, saying President Vladimir Putin is ready to conclude the conflict, now nearing its fourth year. “I think he’s ready to make a deal,” Trump said, adding, “I think Ukraine is less ready to make a deal.”
On Thursday, the Kremlin said it agreed with Trump’s comments. The remarks contrast with the views of many European allies, who have argued for years that Moscow is not seriously pursuing an end to the fighting and instead seeks to gain more territory while avoiding additional Western sanctions.
Trump, who previously said he could end the war “in a day” if elected to a second term, has frequently clashed with Zelensky over the past year.
Relations between the two took a dramatic turn in March last year, when a public confrontation in the Oval Office disrupted a widely discussed agreement that would have given the United States access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals. Zelensky left the White House without signing the deal. Afterward, Trump briefly paused military aid and intelligence sharing, though both were restored the following month.
Since then, interactions between the two leaders have improved, and Ukrainian officials have been closely involved in recent U.S.-led talks.
The latest diplomacy has centered on what security guarantees Ukraine would receive after a ceasefire to prevent another Russian attack. In those discussions, American negotiators have broadly urged Kyiv to consider giving up control of parts of the eastern Donbas region as part of an agreement with Russia.
Zelensky has repeatedly rejected any territorial concessions, arguing that Ukraine’s constitution prevents the government from surrendering any of its land to Moscow.
Meanwhile, Russian forces have continued their offensive despite Trump’s assertions that his pressure campaign and peace push are producing results with the Kremlin.
In mid-January, Moscow confirmed it launched a hypersonic Oreshnik missile into western Ukraine near the EU border, a strike that hit infrastructure in the Lviv region. Western officials condemned the attack as an escalation, even as peace proposals were being discussed.
Russia has also continued large waves of missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure while diplomatic contacts have carried on. In December, Ukrainian authorities reported hundreds of drones and missiles targeting power stations and other sites across the country, causing injuries and widespread damage even as talks about ending the war continued.
Russia’s foreign ministry has also indicated it is not inclined to treat partial ceasefires as credible.
In his New Year’s message, Zelensky warned that Moscow was intentionally prolonging the war, saying “Russia deliberately brings war” through nighttime shelling and large drone attacks. He thanked Ukrainian defenders for repelling many of the strikes.
Asked why he believes Zelensky has been reluctant to move forward, Trump told Reuters: “I just think he’s, you know, having a hard time getting there.”
