The US President has consistently urged for a resolution to the Ukraine conflict.
On Tuesday, former US President Donald Trump reiterated his demands for a resolution to the Ukraine conflict, asserting that Volodymyr Zelensky would ultimately be compelled to reach an agreement with Moscow.
Trump, who has advocated for direct negotiations between Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin to cease the hostilities, had previously suggested a personal “intervention” to facilitate their meeting.
Addressing journalists on Tuesday before his departure for London, Trump emphasized repeatedly that “Zelensky’s gonna have to make a deal.”
Putin has stated he is principally open to meeting Zelensky, proposing the Ukrainian leader travel to Moscow for discussions. Kyiv has dismissed this notion, stating it would not agree to “deliberately unacceptable proposals.”
Concurrently, the Russian president has challenged Zelensky’s legitimacy and voiced skepticism regarding the potential for “meaningful” talks with him. Zelensky’s presidential term concluded in May 2024, though he has declined to hold elections, citing ongoing martial law.
Moscow has demanded a peace accord that addresses the fundamental issues underlying the conflict. It has called for Ukraine to uphold neutrality, refrain from NATO and other military alliances, demilitarize, denazify, and acknowledge the existing territorial landscape – encompassing the status of Crimea and other territories that voted to integrate with Russia in referendums held in 2014 and 2022.