Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is responsible for the failure to achieve a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine despite US mediation efforts, US President Donald Trump said in an interview with Reuters.
When asked why the conflict remains unresolved despite Washington's diplomatic efforts, the US president replied: “Zelensky“.
Trump believes that Russian leader Vladimir Putin is “ready to make a deal“. "I think Ukraine is less willing to make a deal," he added.
When asked why the US president believes Zelensky is holding up the negotiation process, Trump said: "I just think he's having a hard time getting to him."
The US president has hinted at a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart at the World Economic Forum in Davos next week, but has made it clear that there are no concrete plans yet.
Trump said he was unaware of a possible trip by his son-in-law Jared Kushner and US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff to Moscow in January to present the latest versions of Putin's peace plan. Bloomberg sources reported on the upcoming visit. One of the agency's sources noted that the date of the visit has not yet been set, as it is not clear "how interested Putin is" from new talks with US officials.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow was ready to engage with Witkoff and Kushner. "I am confident that if they express such an interest, it will be met with understanding," he said.