On January 14, US President Donald Trump declared that Ukraine, not Russia, is hindering a potential peace agreement to end the prolonged conflict in this Eastern European country.
The above assessment is clearly contrary to the positions of European allies, who have long believed that Moscow hardly shows real goodwill in ending the conflict in Ukraine.
Speaking to reporters at the Oval Office, Mr. Trump emphasized that Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to end the nearly four-year conflict, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is more cautious in the negotiation process.
I think Mr. Putin is ready to reach an agreement, while Ukraine is less prepared," Trump said.
When asked why the negotiation efforts led by the US have so far failed to end Europe's largest ground conflict since World War II, the US President only briefly replied: "Mr. Zelensky.
Asked if he will meet with President Zelensky on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland next week, Mr. Trump said that it "could happen", but implied that there is no specific plan yet.
Continuing to be questioned about the reason he believes that Mr. Zelensky is hesitant in negotiations, Mr. Trump did not give a detailed explanation, only commented: "I just think that he, you know, is having difficulty moving forward.
The two presidents have long had a turbulent relationship, although bilateral contacts seem to have somewhat improved in the first year Mr. Trump returned to the White House.
The US President has also repeatedly expressed his willingness to accept assurances from Mr. Putin more than some of Washington's allies, which has disappointed Kiev, European countries and many US lawmakers.
After many setbacks, US-led negotiations in recent weeks have focused more on ensuring security for Ukraine in the post-conflict period, if a peace agreement is signed.
At a general level, US negotiators are said to have pushed Ukraine to accept abandoning the Donbass region in the east as part of any agreement with Russia.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials have been and are deeply involved in recent exchanges under the coordination of the US side, led by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Mr. Jared Kushner - President Trump's son-in-law.
However, some European officials still expressed skepticism about President Putin's ability to accept the terms just agreed upon by Kiev, Washington and European leaders.
