President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he was disappointed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had not yet read a U.S. peace proposal aimed at ending the war between Ukraine and Russia, even as Trump claimed Zelensky’s aides and Russia were open to the plan. Zelensky, for his part, has described recent talks with U.S. envoys as constructive but difficult and has stressed that Russia must be held accountable for its actions.
Speaking to reporters at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., on Sunday evening, President Donald Trump criticized the pace of peace efforts between Ukraine and Russia, saying they were being held up by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Trump said his administration has been speaking with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian leaders about a U.S.-drafted proposal to end the war. “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,” Trump said, according to The Daily Wire. “His people love it, but he has it. Russia is fine with it … but I’m not sure Zelensky is fine with it.”
Trump has repeatedly vowed to end the Ukraine‑Russia war quickly if he can secure agreement from both sides. The Daily Wire reports that negotiations over the U.S. plan have stalled and restarted several times during Trump’s second term. Last month, the administration rolled out a 28‑point framework to revive talks, followed by three days of discussions between American and Ukrainian officials in Miami last week, but those meetings did not produce a breakthrough.
Zelensky said on Sunday that he recently spoke with Trump’s special envoy, businessman Steve Witkoff, and Trump’s son‑in‑law Jared Kushner. Citing Ukrainian and U.S. coverage, including NBC News and Straight Arrow News, The Daily Wire reports that Zelensky described the talks as “constructive, though not easy,” and said the American envoys understand Ukraine’s core positions.
In a social media post, Zelensky reiterated that Kyiv wants Russia to be held accountable “for what it is doing — for the daily strikes, for the constant terror against our people, and for the war itself,” according to The Daily Wire’s account of his remarks. He added that “Ukraine deserves a dignified peace,” and argued that whether peace is possible “depends entirely on Russia – on our collective pressure on Russia and on the sound negotiating positions of the United States, Europe, and all our other partners.”
While Trump has asserted that “Russia is fine with” the U.S. proposal, there are indications from Moscow that significant differences remain. Putin’s top foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, said on Sunday that the United States must make “radical changes” to its plan, Russian state‑linked media reported, as cited by The Daily Wire. Ushakov said Putin discussed “territorial problems” with Witkoff and Kushner during a multi‑hour meeting in Moscow last week but did not specify what alterations the Kremlin wants.
Territorial questions, particularly in eastern Ukraine, remain central obstacles. Russia currently controls most of the Donbas region, while Ukrainian forces retain parts of the area, according to battlefield assessments reported by Western and Ukrainian media. The status of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which has been under Russian occupation during the conflict, is also a major sticking point.
U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg has nonetheless struck an optimistic tone. He told The Daily Wire that Russia and Ukraine are “really, really close” to a deal and identified the Donbas and Zaporizhzhia as the two biggest unresolved issues. “If we get those two issues settled, I think the rest of the things will work out fairly well,” Kellogg said. “We’re almost there.”
As the U.S.-led initiative continues, European governments are seeking to influence the process from the sidelines. According to The Daily Wire and other outlets, Zelensky is scheduled to meet European leaders in London, Brussels, and Rome on Monday to rally support for Ukraine’s position in the talks and to coordinate with key allies on any potential settlement terms.
