Trump says Zelenskyy ‘isn’t ready’ to accept US peace deal | Ukraine
Donald Trump said Volodymyr Zelenskyy was “not ready” to sign the US-drafted peace proposal aimed at ending the war between Russia and Ukraine, after three days of talks between Washington and Kiev in Florida.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday night, Trump said, “I’m a little disappointed that President Zelenskyy hasn’t read the proposal yet as of a few hours ago. His people love it, but he hasn’t read it himself.”
Days of talks between US and Ukrainian officials ended Saturday with no visible progress, with Zelenskyy calling the discussions “constructive, if not easy.”
His comments come as Zelenskyy is due to meet British prime minister Keir Starmer and the leaders of France and Germany in London on Monday, where talks will focus on ongoing negotiations between the United States and Ukraine.
Starmer has repeatedly emphasized that Ukraine must determine its own future and said European peacekeeping forces will play a “vital role” in guaranteeing the country’s security.
Following the Gaza ceasefire supported by Trump, the United States is working to implement a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia. US officials claim they are in the final stages of reaching a deal, but there is little sign that either Ukraine or Russia are willing to sign the framework agreement drawn up by Trump’s negotiating team.
In comments on Sunday, Trump said: “I believe Russia is doing just fine. [the deal]But I’m not sure Zelenskyy will mind. His people love him. But it’s not ready yet.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin has not publicly expressed his approval of the White House plan and said last week that some aspects of Trump’s proposal were unworkable. US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with Putin in the Kremlin last week but failed to make any obvious progress.
The US plan has gone through several drafts since it was first unveiled in November and has been criticized as being too soft on Russia. Progress in peace talks has been slow despite ongoing efforts by Trump and his team to reach an agreement; Disputes over Kiev’s security guarantees and the status of Russian-occupied territories remain unresolved.
“American representatives know Ukraine’s basic positions,” Zelenskyy said in his late-night video speech on Sunday.
Trump has had a hot-and-cold relationship with Zelenskyy since re-entering the White House, repeatedly calling on the Ukrainians to cede territory to Russia to end a conflict he says has cost too many lives.
Zelenskyy said he had an “important phone call” on Saturday with American officials who were holding talks with a Ukrainian delegation in Florida. He said he was given updated information over the phone by US and Ukrainian officials during the meetings.
“Ukraine is determined to continue working in good faith with the American side to achieve genuine peace,” Zelenskyy wrote on social media.
Trump’s criticism of Zelenskyy came as Russia welcomed the Trump administration’s new national security strategy on Sunday. The updated strategic document, which spells out the administration’s core foreign policy interests, is largely in line with Moscow’s vision, spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
The document, released by the White House on Friday, states that the United States wants to improve its relations with Russia after Moscow has been treated as a global pariah for years. European countries were also highly criticized in the document, and it was stated that the continent was at risk of “the extinction of civilization”.
Trump’s outgoing envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, told a defense forum on Saturday that the administration’s efforts to end the war were “in the last 10 yards.” He said there were two unresolved issues: land and the fate of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant.
Kellogg is seen as among the US officials most sympathetic to Kiev’s position, but he is expected to leave his post in January and has joined the Florida talks. Many in Trump’s orbit, including Witkoff, have been much more open to embracing Russia’s positions. Trump’s son, Donald Jr., said at a forum in Doha on Sunday that Zelenskyy was deliberately continuing the conflict out of fear of losing power if it ended. He said the United States would no longer be “a fool with a checkbook.”
With Associated Press and France-Presse Agency
