Washington: President Donald Trump on Sunday expressed disappointment with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, claiming the Ukrainian leader has not yet reviewed a US-backed peace proposal aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war. His remarks came shortly after US and Ukrainian negotiators finished three days of discussions to reduce disagreements over the draft plan.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the Kennedy Center Honours event, Trump said he had been told Zelenskyy had still not examined the proposal. “I’m a little bit disappointed that President Zelenskyy hasn’t yet read the proposal,” he said, adding that Ukrainian officials were supportive of it. “Russia is, I believe, fine with it, but I’m not sure that Zelenskyy’s fine with it. His people love it. But he isn’t ready.”
Despite Trump’s claims, Russian President Vladimir Putin has not publicly endorsed the plan. Last week, he described several elements of the draft as “unworkable,” even though early versions were seen as favouring Moscow.
Trump’s latest remarks highlight his tense and shifting approach toward Ukraine. Since returning to the White House, he has repeatedly described the conflict as an unnecessary drain on US taxpayers and urged Kyiv to consider territorial concessions to end nearly four years of war.
Zelenskyy, however, said on Saturday that he had a “substantive phone call” with American officials briefing him on the Florida talks. In a social media post, he reaffirmed that Ukraine remained committed to working “in good faith” with the United States to achieve a genuine and lasting peace.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin welcomed elements of the Trump administration’s newly released national security strategy. Russian spokesman Dmitry Peskov told state media outlet Tass that the updated document aligns with Moscow’s preference for dialogue over confrontation. He expressed hope that this approach would open the door for “constructive cooperation” with Washington on resolving the conflict.
The national security strategy, released Friday, states that improving ties with Russia and ending the war are key US priorities to restore strategic stability. Speaking at the Reagan National Defense Forum, outgoing Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg said peace efforts were “in the last 10 metres,” though two issues remain unresolved—territory in the Donbas region and the status of the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
Russia currently holds most of Donbas and several southern regions it illegally annexed three years ago. The Zaporizhzhia plant, under Russian control since early in the invasion, remains offline and requires stable power to prevent a nuclear incident.
Kellogg, who leaves his role in January, was not involved in the Florida negotiations.
Separately, officials confirmed that leaders from the United Kingdom, France and Germany will meet Zelenskyy in London on Monday for further consultations.
As diplomatic efforts continued, Russia intensified its attacks across Ukraine. Overnight missile, drone and artillery strikes killed at least four people. A drone strike in the Chernihiv region killed one man, while a combined attack on Kremenchuk damaged infrastructure, causing widespread power and water outages. The industrial city hosts one of Ukraine’s largest oil refineries.
In the Kharkiv region, Russian shelling on Sunday killed three people and injured ten others, according to local prosecutors. Ukrainian authorities and their Western partners said Russia aims to weaken the country’s power grid and leave civilians without essential services for a fourth consecutive winter, accusing Moscow of “weaponizing” the cold.
