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News Topical, Digital Desk : US President Donald Trump has issued a major statement regarding the Russia-Ukraine conflict. He said that the obstacle to a potential peace agreement that could end the Ukraine-Russia conflict is coming not from Russia, but from Ukraine.
Trump's direct accusation is that Russian President Vladimir Putin is open to a deal, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appears less keen. This statement comes at a time when European allies have repeatedly said Moscow is not interested in ending the war.
"I think he (Putin) is ready to make a deal. I think Ukraine is less ready," Trump said in the Oval Office interview on Wednesday.
When asked why US-led talks had not yet resolved Europe's largest land conflict since World War II, Trump responded with just one word: "Zelensky."
Why is Trump angry?
Trump's statement suggests he is once again angry with the Ukrainian leader. The relationship between Trump and Zelensky has been rocky from the start. However, their interactions improved somewhat during Trump's first year in office. But now Trump has again accused Zelensky of backtracking on the agreement.
"I think he's having trouble, having trouble reaching an agreement," Trump said.
Trump has often appeared to rely too much on Putin's words, to the chagrin of some US allies and even some Republican lawmakers, raising concerns in Kyiv, European capitals and Washington.
Negotiations continue regarding Donbas
The main focus of US-led talks over the past few weeks has been on providing security guarantees to Ukraine after the war to prevent Russia from attacking again.
The US has pressured Ukraine to agree to relinquish the eastern Donbas region. These talks are being led by US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Ukrainian officials are also fully involved in these discussions.
But some European officials say Putin appears in no mood to agree to some of the recent terms. Trump told Reuters he had no knowledge of Witkoff and Kushner's visit to Moscow, which was reported by Bloomberg on Wednesday.
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