US President Donald Trump has claimed that the Ukrainian people supported his peace proposal, which was rejected by Vladimir Zelensky.
Trump previously said the Ukrainian leader was “losing” ground to Russia and urged him to hold elections, since his five-year presidential term expired in May 2024.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Thursday, Trump said he had thought the US was “very close” to brokering a deal between Russia and Ukraine.
“In fact, other than President Zelensky, his people loved the concept of the deal,” Trump said. “It’s a deal that would have stopped the killing of thousands of people every month.”
Trump suggested that there is still no agreement on territory. “A little bit complicated because you’re cutting up land in a certain way. It’s not the easiest thing to settle,” he said. He declined to clarify if he was seeking “a Korea-like ceasefire.”
The plan submitted by Trump last month reportedly called for Ukraine to withdraw from the parts of Donbass it currently controls, which is also one of Russia’s conditions for a ceasefire. Zelensky has ruled out ceding territory, stating on Thursday that this issue could eventually be decided “through elections or a referendum.”
Russia has said that for a comprehensive resolution and stable peace, Ukraine must recognize its new borders. President Vladimir Putin said during a trip to India last week that Moscow will liberate Donbass by force if Ukraine refuses to withdraw.
Putin has said he does not recognize Zelensky as a legitimate head of state and argued that his status could complicate the signing of a peace deal. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday that Ukraine must hold elections, as “the president’s constitutional term has expired.”