Zelensky ‘isn’t ready’ to sign peace deal, says Trump
As peace talks continue to stall, Donald Trump suggested the Ukrainian leader was stopping them from moving forward by refusing to engage with the US-authored plan.
Donald Trump has claimed Volodymyr Zelensky “isn’t ready” to sign off on the US-authored peace proposal aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war.
Mr Trump was critical of Mr Zelensky after US and Ukrainian negotiators completed three days of talks on Saturday with no definite result.
In an exchange with reporters, Mr Trump suggested the Ukrainian leader was holding up the talks from moving forward by refusing to engage with the plan.
“So we’ve been speaking to President Putin and we’ve been speaking to Ukrainian leaders – including Zelensky, President Zelensky – and I have to say that I’m a little bit disappointed that President Zelensky hasn’t yet read the proposal, that was as of a few hours ago,” Mr Trump said at the Kennedy Center Honours.
Days of negotiations between US and Ukrainian officials, including Mr Zelensky, ended Saturday without an apparent breakthrough, though Mr Zelensky praised the “substantive” talks and committed to conducting further talks toward “real peace.”
The talks came after US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin, with Moscow rejecting parts of the US proposal.
Last week, Mr Putin reiterated his warning that Ukrainian troops must withdraw from the country’s eastern Donbas region or Russia would seize it. Speaking in India where he was on a state visit, Mr Putin told local media: “Either we liberate these territories by force, or Ukrainian troops will leave these territories.”
The US plan has been through several drafts since it first emerged last month, amid criticism it was too soft on Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
Mr Zelensky is travelling to the UK where he will on Monday local time meet Prime Minister Keir Starmer, as well as French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
At the same time, British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper will meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington amid intensified diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.
Announcing Ms Cooper’s Washington visit, the Foreign Office in London said “the UK and US will reaffirm their commitment to reaching a peace deal in Ukraine”.
It noted Britain supports “President Trump’s ongoing efforts to secure a just and lasting peace”.
The transatlantic allies’ talks are set to also focus on the situation in Gaza, and “cover US efforts to sustain the ceasefire and make progress on President Trump’s peace plan,” London added.
AFP
To join the conversation, please log in. Don't have an account? Register
Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout