Trump says Zelenskyy, not Putin, holding up peace deal

09:20, 15.01.2026 1 min read

US President Donald Trump said that Ukraine, not Russia, is holding up a potential peace deal, in sharp contrast to rhetoric from European allies who have consistently said that Moscow has little interest in ending the war in Ukraine, Reuters has reported.

In an exclusive interview in the Oval Office on Wednesday, Trump said that Vladimir Putin was supposedly ready to end the nearly four-year invasion of Ukraine. Zelensky,y according to the US president, was more reserved.

"I think he (Putin - IF-U) is ready to make a deal. I think Ukraine is less ready to make a deal," Trump said.

Asked why US-led talks have so far failed to resolve Europe’s biggest land conflict since World War II, Trump replied: "Zelenskyy," the publication writes.

Asked if he would meet with the Ukrainian president at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland next week, Trump said he would, but hinted that there were no plans yet. "I would meet if he was there. I’ll be there," Trump said.