Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky slammed accusations made by President Trump, insisting that his country will “never be a stumbling block for peace” in the ongoing war with Russia, as per The Hill. The comments came after President Trump suggested that Ukraine was the party holding up negotiations, claiming that Russian President Vladimir Putin is “ready to make a deal,” but that “Ukraine is less ready.”
Zelensky wasn’t having it, taking to X to challenge the president’s claim directly. “Ukraine has never been and will never be a stumbling block to peace,” Zelensky posted. He emphasized that when Ukrainians are left without power for 20 or 30 hours because of consistent Russian attacks designed to shatter their energy system and break their national spirit, the pressure needs to be directed at Russia, not Kyiv.
In a video accompanying his post, which included captions translated from Ukrainian, Zelensky stressed that Russia’s actions speak much louder than any diplomatic promises. He noted that the constant barrage of Russian missiles and ‘Shaheds’ targeting the nation is “clear evidence that it is not agreements at all that Russia is seeking.”
What Trump talked up as a cakewalk seems to be riddled with delays and obstacles
The current president has made securing a peace deal between the two nations a central promise of his time in office. During his 2024 campaign, President Trump famously claimed he would end the devastating war in the first 24 hours of his second term.
President Trump last met with Zelensky at Mar-a-Lago in December, where they reportedly made significant headway on a 20-point peace proposal. At the time, Zelensky sounded optimistic, saying that negotiators had agreed to “90 percent” of the plan’s framework. The peace plan, drafted by the Ukrainian president’s team, includes stipulations for joint land withdrawals from both Russia and Ukraine, security guarantees provided by the U.S. and Europe, and Ukraine’s admission into the European Union.
While the December meeting seemed cordial, the relationship between the Ukrainian and U.S. leadership hasn’t always been smooth sailing. Things got pretty heated back in February 2025 when a planned meeting reportedly devolved into a shouting match between Zelensky and Vice President Vance in the oval office.
However, Zelensky appears keen to keep the diplomatic channels open despite the recent criticism from President Trump. In his video response, he mentioned discussing “diplomatic efforts with America” during a recent phone call with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. Moreover, following that December meeting with President Trump, Zelensky had publicly thanked the president on X for his work in the negotiation process, showing that collaboration is definitely possible.
“I thank the United States for its support,” Zelensky wrote then. “Together, we must – and can – implement our vision for the sequencing of steps toward peace.” It seems clear that Zelensky is ready to negotiate, but he won’t let the real, physical destruction Russia is inflicting be ignored in the process.
Published: Jan 16, 2026 01:00 pm