President Donald Trump is pointing the finger at an unlikely target after his much-touted efforts to broker an end to the war in Ukraine failed to gain traction.
Asked why U.S.-led peace talks have stalled, Trump blamed the victim of the invasion, claiming it was the Ukrainian leader’s fault. Asked directly what was standing in the way, he gave a one-word answer to Reuters: “Zelensky.”
At the same time, Trump argued that Moscow is prepared to conclude the conflict, saying Russian President Vladimir Putin is eager to bring the nearly four-year invasion to a close. “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 they agree with Trump’s remarks, which are in contrast to those of European allies, who have long maintained that Moscow is not genuinely interested in ending the conflict, instead aiming to seize additional territory while avoiding new Western sanctions.
Trump, who previously said he would end the war between Russia and Ukraine “in a day” if he won a second term, has frequently clashed with Zelensky over the past year.
Negotiations took a sharp turn in March last year when a public clash between Trump and Zelensky in the Oval Office derailed a widely promoted agreement that would have given the U.S. access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals, with the Ukrainian president leaving the White House without signing the deal. In the aftermath, Trump briefly halted military assistance and intelligence sharing, though both were restored the following month.
Since then, the interactions between the two presidents have improved, with Ukrainian officials being deeply involved in recent peace talks, led by the U.S.
Recent U.S.-led diplomacy has focused on what security guarantees Ukraine would receive after a ceasefire to prevent another Russian attack. As part of those discussions, American negotiators have broadly urged Kyiv to consider relinquishing control of the eastern Donbas region in exchange for an agreement with Russia.
Zelensky, however, has repeatedly rejected any suggestion of territorial concessions, insisting Ukraine’s constitution bars the government from surrendering any of its land to Moscow.
Meanwhile, Russian forces have continued to press their offensive in Ukraine despite Trump’s claims that his pressure campaign and peace efforts are gaining traction with the Kremlin.
In mid-January, Moscow confirmed the launch of a hypersonic Oreshnik missile into western Ukraine near the EU border, a high-speed strike that hit infrastructure in the Lviv region. Western officials condemned it as an escalation even as peace proposals were being discussed.
At the same time, Russia has repeatedly carried out large waves of missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure while diplomatic talks have continued. In December, Ukrainian authorities reported hundreds of drones and missiles targeting power stations and other sites across the country, causing multiple injuries and widespread damage even as discussions on ending the war persisted.
Moscow’s foreign ministry has also signaled reluctance to accept partial ceasefires as credible.
In his New Year’s message, Zelensky warned that Moscow was deliberately continuing its war, saying that “Russia deliberately brings war” with night time shelling and large drone attacks, and thanked Ukrainian defenders for repelling many of them.
When asked why he believes Zelensky has resisted moving forward with peace talks, Trump told Reuters: “I just think he’s, you know, having a hard time getting there.”
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