US President Donald Trump has claimed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is “not ready” to approve a US-drafted peace proposal aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war, expressing frustration that Zelensky had not fully engaged with the plan.
His remarks follow three days of talks in Florida between US and Ukrainian negotiators, which ended on Saturday with both sides still divided on key aspects of the proposal.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday night ahead of the Kennedy Center Honors, Trump said Zelensky had yet to properly review the document.
“I’m a little bit disappointed that President Zelensky hasn’t yet read the proposal, that was as of a few hours ago. His people love it, but he hasn’t,” Trump said.
He added that while Russia appeared more receptive, Zelensky remained hesitant: “Russia is, I believe, fine with it, but I’m not sure that Zelensky’s fine with it. His people love it. But he isn’t ready.”
Despite Trump’s claims, Russian President Vladimir Putin has not publicly endorsed the plan. He previously said parts of it were unworkable, even though the initial draft was reportedly tilted in Moscow’s favor.
Trump has maintained a strained relationship with Zelensky during his second term, frequently criticizing the cost of US support for Ukraine and urging Kyiv to consider giving up territory to halt the nearly four-year-old conflict.
Following the Florida discussions, Zelensky said on Saturday that he had a “substantive phone call” with US and Ukrainian officials involved in crafting the proposal. He wrote that Ukraine remained committed to working “in good faith” with Washington to secure a genuine path to peace.
Trump’s comments came as the Kremlin welcomed the White House’s newly released national security strategy. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the document aligned closely with Moscow’s vision, highlighting its emphasis on dialogue over confrontation.
“There are statements there against confrontation and in favor of dialogue and building good relations,” Peskov said, expressing hope it could lead to constructive cooperation on resolving the conflict.
The strategy document states that improving US-Russia relations and ending the war are central to “reestablishing strategic stability.”
Meanwhile, Trump’s outgoing Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, speaking at the Reagan National Defense Forum, said negotiations were close to concluding. According to him, the remaining sticking points are control of the Donbas region and the status of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Russia currently holds both.
Kellogg, who will leave his role in January, did not participate in the Florida talks.
On Monday, leaders of the United Kingdom, France, and Germany are expected to meet Zelensky in London as diplomatic activity intensifies.
As negotiations wrapped up, Russian missile, drone, and artillery strikes across Ukraine on Saturday night and Sunday killed at least four people, including three in the Kharkiv region. Attacks on infrastructure in Kremenchuk caused widespread power and water disruptions.
Kyiv and its Western partners accuse Russia of targeting energy systems in an attempt to freeze the population as winter approaches — a strategy Ukrainian officials describe as “weaponizing the cold.”
