US President Donald Trump on Thursday described his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, as the main obstacle to a potential peace deal with Russia, while insisting that Russian leader Vladimir Putin was willing to negotiate.
“Zelensky, he has to get on the ball, and he has to get a deal done,” Trump said in an interview with Politico.
Trump, echoing remarks made during a tense meeting at the White House last year — when he and Vice President JD Vance publicly criticised Zelensky — suggested the Ukrainian leader was in a weak position and would need to make compromises.
“It’s unthinkable that he’s the obstacle,” Trump was quoted as saying. “You don’t have the cards. Now he’s got even fewer cards.”
“I think Putin is ready to make a deal,” Trump added.
Trump has repeatedly argued that US support for Ukraine is wasteful and has previously spoken admiringly of Putin, whom he invited to Alaska for talks in August.
His latest remarks came after the United States and Israel launched military strikes on Iran on Saturday, a conflict estimated to have already cost Washington billions of dollars.
Trump had pledged to end the war in Ukraine on his first day in office in January 2025 but has since acknowledged the difficulty of the task as Russian forces continue their attacks.
He has also resisted calls to take tougher action against Moscow, arguing that he is the only leader capable of negotiating with both sides.
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