Trump says Zelensky is unwilling to agree to a Ukraine settlement deal

US President Donald Trump said on [date] that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky does not want to agree to a settlement deal to end the war in Ukraine. Speaking to journalists at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington while returning from Tennessee to the White House, Trump said, "This is something that could have been solved many times, but for whatever reason, Zelensky does not want to make a deal." He added, "I think it would have been smart if he would have made a deal two years ago. He would have been a lot better off. He would have made a much better deal two years ago."

When asked about plans to send his representatives, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, to Moscow for negotiations on Ukraine, Trump said, "I think that Russia would like to make a deal." The comments come amid ongoing diplomatic efforts to find a resolution to the conflict, which began in February 2022.

The US president has previously expressed a desire to bring the war to a swift end, and his administration has been involved in discussions with both Russian and Ukrainian officials. The potential deployment of Witkoff and Kushner to Moscow signals a continued push for a negotiated settlement.

According to Mehr News, Trump's remarks underscore the challenges in reaching a peace agreement, with the US president placing blame on the Ukrainian leadership for the lack of progress. The report added that Trump believes Russia is open to making a deal, contrasting with his assessment of Zelensky's stance.