Trump says no Ukraine peace deal exists without his approval Exclusive interview with POLITICO

On December 26, President Donald Trump positioned himself as the decisive authority over any future peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia, speaking in an exclusive interview with POLITICO.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to meet Trump in Florida on December 28 and has told reporters he plans to present a new 20-point peace framework. The proposal includes the creation of a demilitarised zone, and discussions are expected to centre on US security guarantees for Ukraine.

Trump, however, appeared noncommittal about Zelenskyy’s latest initiative and showed little urgency in endorsing the plan.

“He doesn’t have anything until I approve it,” Trump said. “So we’ll see what he’s got.”

The remarks highlight how heavily Ukraine’s future now depends on persuading Trump that Kyiv is prepared to make sufficient concessions to satisfy a president who has at times signaled a willingness to lean toward Russia if it brings an end to the war. Moscow has barely shifted from its maximalist demands and has yet to respond publicly to the latest proposal. At the same time, the United States has pressed Zelenskyy to retreat from his original positions, while Trump has frequently expressed impatience with prolonged negotiations.

Despite that skepticism, Trump said he expects constructive discussions in the coming days.

“I think it’s going to go good with him. I think it’s going to go good with [Vladimir] Putin,” Trump said, adding that he anticipates speaking with the Russian leader “soon, as much as I want.”

Trump’s comments came one day after Zelenskyy held talks with special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law. Zelenskyy later described the exchange as a “good conversation.”

They also followed a US military strike against ISIS targets in Nigeria, launched a day earlier. Trump said on social media that the operation was retaliation for the militant group’s killing of Christians “at levels not seen for many years, and even centuries!”

In his interview with POLITICO, Trump said the airstrikes had initially been scheduled for Wednesday but that he personally ordered a one-day delay for symbolic reasons.

“They were going to do it earlier,” Trump said. “And I said, ‘nope, let’s give a Christmas present.’ … They didn’t think that was coming, but we hit them hard. Every camp got decimated.”

Trump also confirmed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will visit him this weekend.

“I have Zelenskyy and I have Bibi coming. They’re all coming. They all come,” Trump said. “They respect our country again.”

According to an NBC report, Netanyahu is expected to brief Trump on the growing threat posed by Iran.

Zelenskyy’s meeting with Trump is expected to address not only security guarantees but also the management of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and questions surrounding territorial control in Donbas, the eastern regions claimed by Moscow.

Ukrainian officials have described Zelenskyy’s peace plan as an effort to demonstrate flexibility without formally conceding territory. However, the proposal has so far drawn little public reaction from Washington.

The offer to establish a demilitarised zone is contingent on a key condition: Russia would be required to withdraw its forces from a corresponding stretch of land in Donetsk. Moscow has shown no indication that it is prepared to accept anything short of full control over the region, underscoring the wide gap that remains between the two sides.

Still, Trump pointed to mounting economic pressure on Russia.

“Their economy is in tough shape, very tough shape,” he said.

By Tamilla Hasanova