Trump: Negotiations to end the war are being delayed by Zelensky

The US President believes that Ukraine is less ready for a deal than Russia

US President Donald Trump, in an interview with Reuters, said that Ukraine, not Russia, is slowing down the achievement of a peace agreement, and accused Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky of delaying the negotiation process. According to Trump, the Russian President and Vladimir Putin are allegedly ready to make a deal, while Ukraine is less ready for it.

Trump did not give specific arguments as to what exactly Zelensky’s “unpreparedness” is, limiting himself to the phrase: “I just think it’s difficult for him to approach this.”

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The Kremlin supported Trump's statement

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov publicly agreed with Trump's assessment, saying Zelensky was indeed dragging his feet on the process while Moscow remained "open" to negotiations. According to Peskov, the Russian position is already well known in the American and Ukrainian negotiations.

In the Russian interpretation, Moscow is supposedly ready for further contacts, including with American special envoys, and believes that the first steps should be concessions to Ukraine.

Western allies criticize this logic

Senior EU and NATO officials disagree with Trump's approach. They believe that it is Russia that does not show readiness for real peace, continues its aggression and insists on territorial concessions to Kyiv, which it refuses to accept. The European view is that Russia seeks to maintain control over territories it has already captured, including the Donbass and Crimea annexed in 2014.

Context of peace efforts and upcoming meetings

Trump also did not rule out the possibility of a future meeting with Zelensky at the World Economic Forum in Davos, but noted that there are no specific plans yet.

Previously, American special envoys - including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner - worked on a peace plan and discussed security issues and possible guarantees for Ukraine. However, there were no specific agreements, partly due to Kyiv’s principled position not to cede territory.

Trump's remarks in an interview with Reuters are causing confusion among Western allies and critics in the US Congress, who believe the accusations against Ukraine reflect too close a position to Moscow and could weaken support for Kyiv.

Previously, “Layout” talked about why Donald Trump’s attempts to reconcile Russia and Ukraine failed. Throughout 2025, the issue of ending the war was the most important, but it remained unresolved. At the same time, Finnish President Alexander Stubb said that negotiators are “closer than ever” to achieving peace , but the “most difficult 5%” are ahead, which are the most difficult.

Photo: Vladimir Zelensky and US President-elect Donald Trump during a meeting in New York on September 27, 2024. File photos via Reuters

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