U.S. President Donald Trump said that a potential peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine is being stalled by Kyiv, not Moscow, which stands in sharp contrast to the rhetoric of European allies who consistently claim that the Kremlin has no interest in ending the war.
In an interview with the Reuters news agency, Trump said that Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to end the nearly four-year invasion of Ukraine, while Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky is more reluctant.
“I think he (Putin) is ready to make a deal. I think Ukraine is less ready to make a deal,” Trump said.
Asked why U.S.-mediated negotiations have not yet led to the end of the largest land conflict in Europe since World War II, Trump answered with a single word: “Zelensky.”
Trump’s comments suggest that he is once again dissatisfied with Zelensky’s behavior, with whom he has long had an unstable relationship, although their interactions appeared to have improved during 2025.
Trump has at times been more willing to take Putin’s assurances at face value than leaders of some U.S. allies, which has frustrated Kyiv, European countries, and members of the U.S. Congress, including some Republicans.
Reuters recalls that it reported in December that U.S. intelligence agencies continue to warn that Putin has not abandoned plans to conquer all of Ukraine and to regain control over parts of Europe that once belonged to the Soviet Union. At the time, U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard disputed those claims.
In recent weeks, the focus of U.S.-mediated talks has been on security guarantees for postwar Ukraine, to ensure that Russia does not attack it again after a peace agreement is reached. Generally speaking, U.S. negotiators have pressured Ukraine to give up its eastern Donbas region in order to reach an agreement with Russia.
Zelensky has publicly ruled out any territorial concessions to Russia, saying that under the Constitution Kyiv has no right to relinquish any part of Ukrainian territory.
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Source: N1; Foto: AP