Russian officials publicly agreed with President Donald Trump’s assessment that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, not Moscow, is delaying a potential negotiated end to the war.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The Kremlin said Thursday that it agrees with President Donald Trump that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, rather than Russia, is preventing progress toward a peace agreement to end the war in Ukraine.
Trump made the remarks during an interview with Reuters, offering an assessment that diverges sharply from the views of European allies, who have argued that Moscow has little incentive to end the conflict and instead seeks to consolidate territorial gains while avoiding additional Western sanctions.
“I think he’s ready to make a deal,” Trump said of Russian President Vladimir Putin when speaking to Reuters from the Oval Office on Wednesday. “I think Ukraine is less ready to make a deal.”
When asked why U.S.-led diplomatic efforts have so far failed to resolve Europe’s largest land war since World War II, Trump responded succinctly: “Zelenskyy.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Moscow concurred with Trump’s view.
“I agree, that is indeed the case,” Peskov said when asked about Trump’s remarks. “President Putin and the Russian side remain open (to talks). The Russian position is well known. It is well known to the American negotiators, to President Trump, and to the leadership of the Kyiv regime.”
Russia currently controls roughly one-fifth of Ukrainian territory, including Crimea, which Moscow annexed in 2014. The Kremlin has demanded that Ukraine withdraw its forces from portions of the Donetsk region that Russia does not fully control but has declared as its own territory. Ukraine has rejected ceding territory, instead calling for a ceasefire along existing front lines. The United States has proposed the creation of a free economic zone if Ukrainian forces pull back.
U.S.-led negotiations in recent weeks have focused on potential security guarantees for Ukraine in the event of a post-war settlement, though several European officials have cautioned that Putin is unlikely to accept some of the proposed terms.
Diplomatic efforts were further strained last month after Russia accused Ukraine of attempting to attack a residence associated with Putin, an allegation Ukrainian officials dismissed as false.
Peskov said Thursday that Moscow would welcome additional talks involving Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, once dates for a visit to the Kremlin are finalized.
The comments mark one of the clearest public alignments between the Kremlin and Trump’s stated view of the stalled negotiations, underscoring growing divisions between Washington’s current position and that of several European governments over responsibility for the lack of progress toward ending the conflict.
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