Former US President Donald Trump has publicly stated that his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is not prepared to endorse an American-backed peace proposal designed to end the ongoing war with Russia.
Stalemate After Florida Talks
The remarks follow three days of negotiations between US and Ukrainian officials in Florida, which concluded on Saturday without a definitive breakthrough. Trump expressed his disappointment to reporters on Sunday night, claiming, "I’m a little bit disappointed that President Zelenskyy hasn’t yet read the proposal, that was as of a few hours ago. His people love it, but he hasn’t."
While Zelenskyy characterised the discussions as "constructive, although not easy," the lack of a signed agreement underscores the significant hurdles remaining. The US administration, buoyed by its recent involvement in a Gaza ceasefire, has been aggressively pushing for a settlement. American officials suggest they are in the final stages, yet neither Kyiv nor Moscow has shown willingness to commit to the framework drafted by Trump's team.
European Diplomacy and Divergent Views
As the US-led talks stall, President Zelenskyy is set to meet with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in London on Monday. The European summit is expected to focus heavily on the status of the US-Ukraine negotiations.
Prime Minister Starmer has consistently affirmed that Ukraine must determine its own future, suggesting a European peacekeeping force could be vital for future security guarantees—a key sticking point in the US-brokered talks.
Trump asserted that Russia is "fine with" the proposed deal, but remained uncertain about Zelenskyy's position. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin has not publicly endorsed the White House plan and last week criticised aspects of it as unworkable. A recent meeting in the Kremlin between Putin and US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner failed to yield visible progress.
Core Disputes and Political Pressure
The US proposal, which has undergone several revisions since November, has faced criticism for being too lenient on Russia. Fundamental disputes over security guarantees for Ukraine and the status of Russian-occupied territories remain unresolved.
Trump's relationship with Zelenskyy has been volatile since his return to office, with the former president repeatedly urging Ukraine to cede territory to Moscow to stop the bloodshed. This pressure was echoed by Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., who suggested in Doha that Zelenskyy was prolonging the conflict to retain power, declaring the US would no longer be "the idiot with the chequebook."
In his nightly address on Sunday, Zelenskyy confirmed a "substantive phone call" with US officials and reiterated that "Ukraine is determined to keep working in good faith with the American side to genuinely achieve peace." Meanwhile, Trump's outgoing Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, stated the peace efforts were in "the last 10 metres," with territory and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant as the final obstacles.
The diplomatic manoeuvring coincides with Moscow's approval of the Trump administration's new national security strategy, which seeks improved relations with Russia and criticises European nations, warning of potential "civilisational erasure."
