Zelensky has to 'get moving' on peace deal, Trump says
U.S. President Donald Trump said Feb. 13 that President Volodymyr Zelensky needs to "get moving" to secure a peace deal with Russia.
When asked by a reporter whether there had been progress in Ukraine-Russia negotiations — and whether he was still demanding that Ukraine hold elections by the summer — Trump did not answer directly. Instead, he said Zelensky "is going to have to get moving."
"Russia wants to make a deal and Zelensky is going to have to get moving, otherwise he's going to miss a great opportunity," Trump claimed. "He has to move."
Trump's comments come as the United States intensifies diplomatic efforts aimed at brokering an end to Russia's war in Ukraine, which is nearing its fourth anniversary.
As part of these efforts, U.S., Ukrainian, and Russian officials held trilateral talks in January and again in early February, with another round expected next week.
Russia, however, has not indicated publicly that it is ready to "make a deal." In recent days, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that "there is still a long way to go" in the ongoing negotiations.
He has also reiterated Moscow's hardline position that Ukraine should cede territory without a fight.
Lavrov is not the only senior Russian official to minimize the progress Washington has described in the talks. In a Feb. 2 interview, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said that Russia's objectives in the war remain fundamentally unchanged.
The remarks from Lavrov and Medvedev appear to undermine Trump's assertion that Ukraine and Russia are "closer than ever before" to a peace agreement — and, in particular, his claim that Russia is prepared to reach a deal.
Zelensky, meanwhile, has emphasized that Ukraine is not an obstacle to peace. In a recent interview with The Atlantic, he said Kyiv has sought to negotiate in good faith by backing U.S. proposals aimed at moving negotiations forward.
At the same time, Zelensky also said that he would rather accept no deal than pressure Ukrainians into a bad one, arguing that any settlement must ensure a dignified, lasting peace for his country — and include clear security guarantees to prevent Russia from attacking again.
