US President Donald Trump has once again raised the need for peace negotiations to end Russia's war against Ukraine, but put forward an unexpected condition: according to him, they should not be conducted on behalf of Kyiv by incumbent Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. RBC-Ukraine reports this citing a statement by the American leader published on the social network X.
«It Is Time for Someone Else to Negotiate»
Trump stated that Zelenskyy «should have settled this war long ago» and that if the Ukrainian leader had listened to him, «he would have made a much better deal long ago, and a million people would still be alive.» On this basis, the US president expressed the opinion that «it is time for someone else to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine,» adding that Zelenskyy «is not helping the situation to end the war very much» and, in his assessment, «does not want to stop it.»
A Series of Criticisms: From Refinery Strikes to «Reselling Missiles»
The remark about replacing the negotiator fits into a series of sharp statements by Trump directed at Kyiv. In an interview with Newsmax on October 15, he criticized the resumption of Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries, calling them a «disgrace» and accusing them of driving up global oil prices. Earlier, on September 13, Trump first called on Ukraine to halt such strikes, repeated this in a conversation with Zelenskyy on September 20, and on October 9, following a telephone contact with Putin, announced the lifting of sanctions on Russian diesel fuel — the US Treasury issued a temporary license for operations with it until April 7, 2027. According to Forbes Ukraine, Trump also accused Ukraine of reselling American missiles.
Zelenskyy Is a «More Difficult Partner» Than Putin
Separately, Trump compared the negotiating qualities of the two leaders, calling Volodymyr Zelenskyy «a more difficult negotiating partner» than Vladimir Putin. «Zelenskyy is not the person we are comfortable dealing with... He does not want a settlement. He says he wants one, but actually no. No, I am not a fan of Zelenskyy,» the American president stated, emphasizing that Putin, in his estimation, shows greater interest in resolving the conflict than the Ukrainian side.
Expectations on the Timeline of Settlement
Despite the criticism, Trump expressed confidence that the war will end before his presidential term expires: «It has to end soon. I think actually they both (the presidents of Russia and Ukraine. — Ed.) would like it to end.» Earlier, he called the conflict «stupid» and urged Putin and Zelenskyy to meet. At the same time, in the same context, Trump noted that Russia is «acting quite normally» within the framework of the peace process, and stated that he does not want people to die in the war. The combination of these statements indicates that Washington, in its own words, is shifting the responsibility for initiating negotiations to a figure other than the current president of Ukraine.
