US President Donald Trump told Reuters on 14 January that Ukraine—not Russia—is holding up a potential peace deal, language that mirrors accusations Russia's UN envoy leveled at Kyiv just days earlier.
Trump's comments come as US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner prepare for a visit to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin confirmed on 15 January that the trip would take place once dates are finalized, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov stating that "existing channels for communication with the American negotiators continue to work."
Trump says Zelenskyy "having a hard time getting there"
In the Oval Office interview, Trump said Russian President Putin is "ready to make a deal" while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is "more reticent."
Asked why US-led negotiations had not yet resolved Europe's largest land conflict since World War Two, Trump responded with a single word: "Zelenskyy."
"I think he's, you know, having a hard time getting there," Trump said, without elaborating.
The remarks stand in marked contrast to European allies, who have consistently argued Moscow has little interest in ending its war in Ukraine. They also contradict recent reporting: just five days earlier, sources told The Telegraph that Trump now views Putin as a bigger obstacle to peace than Zelenskyy.
Moscow set the stage at the Security Council
Trump's accusation closely tracks what Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told the UN Security Council on 12 January.
"By putting forward his conditions in response to the US proposals, he is essentially nullifying what is being done by the US," Nebenzia said of Zelenskyy. "Until the Kiev ringleader comes to his senses and agrees to realistic terms for negotiations, we will continue solving the problems by military means."
Nebenzia warned that "the conditions for negotiations will only get worse for him with each day he squanders."
Two days later, Trump delivered essentially the same message through Reuters.
What's at stake
US-led negotiations have recently focused on security guarantees for post-war Ukraine. American negotiators have pushed Kyiv to abandon the eastern Donbas region as part of any accord with Russia, according to Reuters.
Zelenskyy has publicly ruled out territorial concessions, saying Ukraine's constitution forbids ceding any land.
Trump said he might meet Zelenskyy at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland next week. "I would—if he's there," Trump said. "I'm going to be there."
The synchronized messaging from Washington and Moscow—placing blame on Kyiv before US envoys arrive in the Russian capital—may signal the negotiating posture Trump's team plans to bring to Putin.
