Trump Says Zelensky “Not Ready” to Approve U.S. Peace Plan as Allies Prepare High-Level Talks

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — President Donald Trump said Sunday he does not believe Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is prepared to endorse a U.S.-drafted peace proposal aimed at ending the nearly four-year war with Russia, underscoring widening strains between Washington and Kyiv as diplomatic efforts intensify.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the Kennedy Center Honors in Washington, Trump voiced concern that Zelensky had not yet examined the latest U.S. proposal.

“I have to say that I’m a little bit disappointed that President Zelensky hasn’t yet read the proposal… His people love it, but he hasn’t. Russia’s fine with it,” he said.

The remarks come after days of negotiations in Miami between U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and Ukrainian officials, including Rustem Umerov, the secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, and negotiator Andriy Hnatov. Those talks ended Saturday with no apparent breakthrough, though both sides agreed to continue discussions.

Zelensky is scheduled to arrive in London on Monday for meetings with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and French President Emmanuel Macron. The gathering is expected to focus heavily on the faltering peace initiative and Western coordination on next steps.

British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper is also due in Washington on Monday for talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. “The UK and US will reaffirm their commitment to reaching a peace deal in Ukraine,” London’s Foreign Office said.

The diplomatic push comes as Russia continues its attacks on Ukrainian cities, wounding at least nine people overnight from Sunday into Monday, according to Ukrainian officials.

Despite Trump’s criticism, Zelensky said he joined a “very substantive and constructive” call with Witkoff and Kushner during the Miami discussions. “Ukraine is committed to continuing to work honestly with the American side to bring about real peace,” he wrote on Telegram, noting an agreement on next steps and the format of future talks.

Witkoff and Kushner also traveled to Moscow last week for discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who rejected parts of the U.S. proposal.

Macron, speaking ahead of the London meeting, condemned Russia’s “escalatory path” and stressed that Western unity remains essential. “We will continue these efforts with the Americans to provide Ukraine with security guarantees, without which no robust and lasting peace will be possible,” he said. 

“We must continue to exert pressure on Russia to compel it to choose peace.”

Washington’s initial 28-point proposal involves Ukraine surrendering territory that Russia has failed to seize militarily, in exchange for security guarantees that fall short of Kyiv’s request for a clear pathway to NATO membership.

Details on those guarantees remain vague, though one early concept envisioned stationing fighter jets in Poland to help defend Kyiv.

Trump’s approach to Ukraine has oscillated since returning to the White House in January—alternately praising Putin, scolding Zelensky for insufficient gratitude, and later sanctioning Russian oil firms after diplomatic overtures, including a summit in Alaska, failed to yield results.

With Ukraine seeking firm Western security assurances and Russia resisting key provisions of the U.S. plan, negotiators face an uphill battle in the coming weeks.

As Zelensky meets European leaders and Washington prepares for another round of diplomacy, the path toward any agreement remains deeply uncertain.