US President Donald Trump revealed on Sunday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has not yet read the Russian-Ukrainian peace proposal.
He said Zelenskyy was “not ready” to sign a US peace proposal aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war.
Trump said, “We’ve talked to President Putin and we’ve talked to Ukrainian leaders, including President Zelenskyi. And I have to say, I’m a little disappointed that President Zelenskyi hasn’t read the draft that was a few hours ago.”
The US president added: “I believe Russia is fine, but I’m not sure Zelensky is fine.”
“His people love it. But he’s not ready. So you explain it to me one day,” Trump said.
Trump was critical of Zelensky after U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators wrapped up three days of talks on Saturday to try to iron out differences over the U.S. administration’s proposal to end the war in Ukraine.
But in an exchange with reporters Sunday night, Trump suggested the Ukrainian leader was delaying negotiations to move forward.
US-brokered Ukrainian peace plan
The US plan has gone through several revisions since it was first published last month amid criticism that it was too soft on Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
Trump has had a hot-and-cold relationship with Zelensky since his second term in the White House, insisting the war was a waste of American taxpayers’ money.
Trump has also repeatedly urged the Ukrainians to cede territory to Russia to end the now nearly four-year conflict, which he says has cost too many lives.
Zelenskyy said on Saturday that he had a “substantial phone call” with US officials involved in the talks with the Ukrainian delegation in Florida.
He said U.S. and Ukrainian officials gave him updates during phone conversations. “Ukraine is determined to continue working in good faith with the American side to truly achieve peace,” Zelenskyy wrote on social media.
In addition, Russian President Vladimir Putin has not publicly expressed approval of the White House’s plan.
In fact, Putin said last week that aspects of Trump’s proposal were unworkable, even though the original proposal heavily favored Moscow.
“US may end support for war effort in Ukraine”
Donald Trump may walk away from the Ukraine war, the US president’s eldest son said in comments at a Middle East conference, the Guardian reported.
Donald Trump Jr., who does not hold an official position in the administration of US President Donald Trump, has warned that the US may withdraw financial support from Ukraine if a long-term peace plan cannot be agreed upon.
Donald Trump Jr he said the Americans had no desire to “write checks” and continue to fund the conflict with Russia, speaking at a forum in Doha, Qatar.
In a lengthy tirade against the purpose of the ongoing fighting in Ukraine, Donald Trump Jr. said Ukraine’s “corrupt” tycoons had fled their country, leaving “what they believed to be a peasant class” to fight in the war.
