US President Donald Trump has voiced his dissatisfaction with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy for not reviewing a proposed plan to end the ongoing war with Russia, a proposal that Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly accepted. Trump made these remarks while speaking to journalists at the red carpet event for the Kennedy Center Honors.
Trump's Public Disappointment and Kremlin's Welcome
President Trump stated he was "a little disappointed" that President Zelenskyy had not yet read the peace proposal. He mentioned that while Ukrainian people seemed to favor the plan, their leader was not prepared to move forward. "We have been speaking to President Putin and Ukrainian leaders, including President Zelenskyy. I am a little disappointed that President Zelenskyy hasn't read the proposal yet...Russia's fine with it...But I am not sure that Zelenskyy is fine with it. His people love it. But he is not ready," Trump said.
Concurrently, the Kremlin welcomed President Trump's new security strategy, noting it moved away from the language used by previous US administrations that labeled Russia as a direct threat.
Marathon Miami Talks and Sticking Points
This development followed the conclusion of talks between American and Ukrainian negotiators in Miami over the weekend. The discussions, aimed at forging a potential peace deal with Russia, ended with few major breakthroughs. Ukrainian officials pointed to unresolved questions concerning security guarantees and territorial issues as the primary hurdles.
The marathon meeting in Miami began on Thursday and involved US special envoy Steve Witkoff, President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, and Ukrainian officials Rustem Umerov and Andriy Hnatov. After three days of negotiations, Ukrainian Ambassador to the US Olga Stefanishyna acknowledged on Saturday that "difficult issues remain." She confirmed that both sides were still working to find realistic and acceptable solutions, with the main challenges revolving around territory and guarantees.
Ukraine's consistent position is that any just end to the conflict must include reliable security assurances and cannot involve ceding more land to Russia. This stance was underscored as the talks began, when President Putin, during a visit to India, declared Russia's intention to seize Ukraine's eastern Donbas region by any means necessary.
Diplomatic Moves and Zelenskyy's Cautious Stance
Prior to the Miami round, the US delegation, including Witkoff and Kushner, visited Moscow for talks. President Trump described that meeting as "very good" and suggested Putin wanted the war to end, though no breakthrough was achieved.
In a social media update on Saturday, President Zelenskyy reported a "long" and "constructive" phone call with the US envoys and his team in Miami. They discussed key points for ending the violence and preventing a new full-scale Russian invasion. Zelenskyy emphasized the risk of Russia not honoring future promises, based on past behavior. He noted that his negotiators would deliver a detailed in-person report, as "not everything can be discussed over the phone."
The pursuit of peace continues on other fronts as well. President Zelenskyy is scheduled to meet with the leaders of France, Britain, and Germany in London on Monday. French President Emmanuel Macron stated the discussions would cover the situation and the ongoing negotiations under American mediation.
