Trump tells Reuters Zelenskyy is 'main impediment' to Ukraine peace, claims Putin 'ready to make a deal'
In an exclusive Reuters interview from the Oval Office, President Trump declared that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is 'the main impediment' to ending the nearly four-year war with Russia, insisting that Vladimir Putin is 'ready to make a deal' and arguing 'we have to get President Zelenskyy to go along with it.' This rhetoric directly contradicts the position of European allies, who have consistently maintained that Moscow shows little interest in ending the war. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov immediately endorsed Trump's framing, saying Moscow 'can agree' with the assessment that Ukraine is holding up peace talks. Trump's comments represent a significant shift in U.S. positioning, placing blame on the victim of Russian aggression rather than the aggressor, and aligning American rhetoric with Russian propaganda.
“President Zelenskyy is now the main impediment to ending the four-year war. Putin is ready to make a deal and we have to get President Zelenskyy to go along with it.” — Exclusive sit-down interview with Reuters conducted in the Oval Office
Analysis Feed
AI commentaryThis statement represents a critical alignment of U.S. presidential rhetoric with Russian propaganda narratives. By blaming Ukraine—the victim of Russian military aggression—for impeding peace negotiations while simultaneously claiming Putin is 'ready to make a deal,' Trump inverts the actual diplomatic reality. The immediate endorsement from Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov demonstrates how Trump's framing serves Russian strategic interests. This contradicts consistent assessments from European allies and the U.S. intelligence community that Russia has shown little genuine interest in ending the war on terms that respect Ukrainian sovereignty.