Trump blames Zelenskyy for stalled Ukraine peace talks In exclusive interview with Reuters

U.S. President Donald Trump told Reuters that Ukraine — not Russia — is impeding progress on a potential peace agreement, a position that sharply diverges from that of European allies who maintain that Moscow has shown little genuine interest in ending its war in Ukraine.

In an exclusive Oval Office interview on Wednesday, Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin is prepared to conclude his nearly four-year invasion, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is more reluctant.

“I think he’s ready to make a deal,” Trump said of Putin. “I think Ukraine is less ready to make a deal.”

When asked why U.S.-led negotiations had yet to resolve Europe’s largest land conflict since World War Two, Trump replied: “Zelenskyy.”

Trump’s remarks reflected renewed frustration with the Ukrainian leader. Although their relationship has been volatile for years, their interactions appeared to stabilise during Trump’s first year back in office. Still, Trump has at times been more willing to accept Putin’s assurances than some European leaders or members of the U.S. Congress, including Republicans — a dynamic that has repeatedly troubled Kyiv and Western capitals.

In December, Reuters reported that U.S. intelligence continued to assess that Putin had not abandoned his broader aims: capturing all of Ukraine and reasserting influence over territories once part of the Soviet sphere. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard publicly disputed that assessment at the time.

Negotiations struggle to advance

After numerous setbacks, U.S.-led talks in recent weeks have focused on establishing security guarantees for a post-war Ukraine — measures intended to prevent another Russian invasion after any potential agreement. Broadly, U.S. negotiators have encouraged Ukraine to relinquish the eastern Donbas region as part of a settlement with Moscow.

Ukrainian officials have participated extensively in these discussions, which on the U.S. side have been led by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law. Some European officials, however, have questioned whether Putin would accept certain terms recently shaped by Kyiv, Washington, and European governments.

Trump said he was unaware of a possible trip to Moscow by Witkoff and Kushner.

Asked whether he would meet Zelenskyy next week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Trump said he would be open to it but suggested no meeting had been arranged. “I would — if he’s there,” he said. “I’m going to be there.”

Pressed on why he believed Zelenskyy was resisting negotiations, Trump offered no specifics, saying only: “I just think he’s, you know, having a hard time getting there.”

Zelenskyy has repeatedly and publicly ruled out making territorial concessions, insisting that Ukraine’s constitution gives the government no authority to surrender any land to Russia.

By Tamilla Hasanova