Zelenskiy rejects claim Ukraine is blocking peace with Russia

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy forcefully dismissed assertions by U.S. President Donald Trump that Ukraine is less willing than Russia to strike a peace deal, saying Kyiv will intensify diplomatic work while pointing to Moscow’s actions as proof that Russia is not serious about peace.

In a nightly video address, Zelenskiy declared, “Ukraine has never been and will never be an obstacle to peace,” and urged partners to judge actions rather than words. He cited ongoing assaults on Ukrainian energy infrastructure and the continued use of Shahed drones as concrete evidence, referencing “Russian missiles, Russian ‘Shaheds,’ (drones) and Russia’s attempt to destroy Ukraine.” He said Kyiv would pursue diplomatic channels “with America” more actively and described a recent telephone conversation he identified with “NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.”

The comments came after an Oval Office interview in which Mr. Trump said he believed President Vladimir Putin “is ready to make a deal,” while “Ukraine is less ready to make a deal.” Mr. Trump suggested that Mr. Zelenskiy was “having a hard time getting there,” and indicated a willingness to meet Mr. Zelenskiy at the World Economic Forum in Davos. The exchange exposed a sharp public disagreement between Washington and Kyiv at a delicate moment for European security policy.

The Kremlin seized on Mr. Trump’s remarks. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he agreed that Mr. Zelenskiy was “holding up a deal” and added, “here we can agree. This is true. President Putin and the Russian side maintain their openness” to talks. Moscow’s framing contrasts with Kyiv’s insistence that battlefield conduct and attacks on civilian infrastructure show there is no serious Russian plan to end the war.

The dispute follows months of private and semi-official negotiations that Western and regional officials say have included envoys from the United States and other intermediaries. Those discussions have reportedly explored territorial arrangements in the Donbas region, the area Moscow claims to have annexed. Zelenskiy has repeatedly rejected any concessions that would contradict the Ukrainian constitution and cede sovereign territory in exchange for a tenuous truce.

Beyond the immediate clash of public statements, the disagreement carries wider diplomatic implications. President Trump’s public assessment risks undermining Western cohesion by suggesting a U.S. approach at odds with many European leaders who have demanded clear Russian steps before serious negotiations. For Kyiv, the danger is diplomatic isolation at a moment when military aid and political backing remain essential to sustain resistance and prepare for any negotiations.

Zelenskiy’s rebuttal was both a defense of Ukrainian negotiating posture and an appeal to international law and norms: that peace must be premised on cessation of hostilities, withdrawal of forces and respect for territorial integrity. By highlighting continuing strikes on energy systems and the use of attack drones, Kyiv aims to shift the focus back to Moscow’s conduct on the ground.

As leaders prepare to meet in Davos and other forums this week, the question will be whether public disagreements become private leverage to shape a settlement or a wedge that fragments the coalition supporting Ukraine. For now, Kyiv is signaling it will press both diplomatic and political channels even as the fighting continues.