Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed confidence that the United States should focus its efforts on increasing pressure on the Russian Federation to end the war, rather than on him personally. He voiced this position in a recent interview after U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Russian leader Vladimir Putin is “ready to make a deal” to end the Russia-Ukraine war, while Zelensky, according to Trump, is not open enough to negotiations.
This is reported by Finway
Zelensky: The U.S. Must Actively Influence Russia
“We do not trust Russia, but I think and believe that Americans really want to end this war. I hope they will help us, but it is necessary to exert more pressure on Russia, not on me,” said Volodymyr Zelensky.
Despite Trump’s criticism regarding Kyiv’s unwillingness to negotiate, Zelensky noted that in December, during talks with U.S. special envoys, Washington demonstrated a readiness to provide Ukraine with effective security guarantees. In his view, these guarantees could form the basis of a future peace agreement, but specifics regarding their parameters are currently lacking. Zelensky emphasized: “This is very important for us, but we do not have a clear answer.”
Security Guarantees and the U.S. Position
The Ukrainian president shared that during discussions, Donald Trump asked him whether American guarantees could be stronger than NATO’s guarantees. Zelensky replied that at this moment, it depends on the political will of the U.S. president, but it is important for such guarantees to be enshrined in decisions made by the parliaments of both countries. Only in this case will they retain their strength in the future.
In a recent interview, Donald Trump declined to disclose details about what he believes is preventing Zelensky from reaching agreements with Russia, but once again emphasized that the Ukrainian president “needs to get to work and make a deal.” Trump also expressed the opinion that Kyiv’s positions in negotiations have become less favorable.
In early March, after a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, the U.S. president emphasized that ending Russian aggression against Ukraine remains one of his key priorities. He noted that, in his opinion, peace could have been achieved more quickly; however, there is “huge hatred” between Putin and Zelensky. Trump added that sometimes he blames both sides for prolonging the negotiations.
Throughout January and February 2026, several rounds of trilateral consultations took place between Ukraine, the U.S., and Russia regarding the cessation of hostilities. Although no specific results of the negotiations were reported, on February 5, the parties reached an agreement on a prisoner exchange — the first such exchange in the last five months.
On March 5 and 6, Ukraine conducted an exchange with Russia, returning 500 of its servicemen from captivity. Agreements on this step were reached during negotiations in Geneva that took place in February.
The next round of negotiations, scheduled for last week in Abu Dhabi, was postponed indefinitely due to the escalation of the situation in the Middle East.