U.S. President Donald Trump said that Ukraine, not Russia, is obstructing a possible peace agreement to end the ongoing conflict. In an interview with Reuters at the Oval Office on January 14, Trump stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to conclude nearly four years of war, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is less prepared. He added that he believes Putin is ready to make a deal, but Ukraine is not.

When asked why the largest European conflict since World War II has not been resolved through U.S.-led negotiations, Trump directly pointed to Zelensky. His remarks signaled dissatisfaction with the Ukrainian leader and reflected his tendency to express more trust in Putin than in U.S. allies, a stance that has frustrated Ukraine, European capitals, and American lawmakers.

A Reuters report from December noted that U.S. intelligence agencies had warned Putin had not abandoned his goal of capturing all of Ukraine and restoring parts of the former Soviet empire, though National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard denied that assessment.