Trump Calls Out Zelensky for Delaying Peace Deal

President Donald Trump expressed frustration on Sunday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, accusing him of holding up peace negotiations that could finally bring an end to the long and bloody war between Ukraine and Russia.

“I’m a little bit disappointed that President Zelensky hasn’t yet read the proposal,” Trump told reporters at the Kennedy Center, highlighting the slow progress in a conflict he has vowed to end. According to Trump, the plan has already been well received by both Russian officials and Ukraine’s own negotiators just not by Zelensky himself.

“His people love it. Russia is fine with it. But I’m not sure Zelensky is fine with it.”

After nearly three years of war, the Ukrainian president still insists that peace hinges on punishing Russia, rather than coming to the negotiating table in good faith. In a recent social media post, Zelensky said that peace would only come when Russia is “held accountable” for the war a position that directly conflicts with Trump’s diplomatic push.

Zelensky admitted speaking with Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and senior advisor Jared Kushner, calling the discussions “constructive, though not easy.” He’s now expected to meet with European leaders this week in London, Brussels, and Rome, as the EU tries to assert itself in negotiations already being led by the Trump administration.

Meanwhile, Moscow has shown far more willingness to engage. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s top foreign policy aide confirmed that Russia has reviewed the U.S. peace proposal, even offering feedback. According to U.S. Special Envoy Keith Kellogg, the two major sticking points remaining are:

• Control of the Donbas region, where Russia currently holds most territory

• Oversight of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, still contested by both sides

Kellogg added that the two nations are “really, really close” to striking a deal. “If we get those two issues settled, I think the rest of the things will work out fairly well,” he said.

This renewed effort comes after the Trump administration introduced a 28-point peace plan last month. Negotiations took place for three days in Miami between American and Ukrainian officials, but Zelensky has yet to show real movement.

While Trump is working tirelessly to fulfill his campaign promise to end the Ukraine war—something he declared would happen on Day One of his return to office—the Ukrainian leadership appears stuck in the past, fixated on retribution rather than resolution.

Let’s not forget what’s at stake:

• Over 500,000 lives lost in the conflict, including soldiers and civilians on both sides

• $175 billion in U.S. taxpayer funds sent to Ukraine under Biden, with zero accountability

• A war that has pushed global energy prices higher and triggered inflation worldwide

Unlike Biden’s failed foreign policy which poured fuel on the fire and dragged NATO deeper into conflict Trump’s approach is focused on swift, hard-nosed diplomacy that prioritizes peace through strength, not endless cash pipelines to foreign governments.

If Zelensky truly wants a “dignified peace,” as he claims, he should start by reading the plan sitting on his desk and accept that the war won’t be ended with press releases and posturing, but through real negotiations. The world is waiting, and so is America.

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