US President Donald Trump has said that he believes it is easier to deal with Russia than Ukraine as he hopes to finalise the ceasefire deal between the two countries.
Trump and his vice president, JD Vance, were seen engaging in a heated conversation with Zelensky in the Oval Office on February 28.
During his press briefing, a reporter mentioned recent Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure and asked Trump, “Do you still believe [President Vladimir Putin] when he tells you that he wants peace?”
Trump replied yes “I believe him. I think we’re going very well with Russia.”
Trump slammed Ukrainian leadership and said, “I’m finding it more difficult, frankly, to deal with Ukraine. And they don’t have the cards.”
“In terms of getting a final settlement, it may be easier dealing with Russia, which is surprising because they have all the cards,” he said.
Trump, on his Truth Social, announced that the US was considering “strong sanctions on Russia until the ceasefire was reached.”
“To Russia and Ukraine, get to the table right now, before it is too late,” he wrote.
Earlier this week, Trump not only paused all military aid to Ukraine but also stopped sharing intel with Kiev, which has been key for the country’s defence forces during its fight against the Russian forces.
The move followed a public spat between Trump and Vladimir Zelensky in the White House, which highlighted persistent disagreements over ceasefire terms and security guarantees.
While Zelensky demanded the security guarantees be extended to Ukraine as a precondition before agreeing to a ceasefire. However, Trump has repeatedly rejected the calls to provide any specific guarantees and also ruled out NATO membership for the country.
After a highly contentious meeting on February 28, Trump accused Zelensky of being “disrespectful” and sabotaging his effort to end the conflict.
On Tuesday, the president said that Zelensky had written him a letter expressing readiness “to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer.”
American and Ukrainian negotiators are set to meet in Saudi Arabia early next week.
Russia has long insisted that Ukraine and the West must address the root causes of the conflict, including Moscow’s concerns over the expansion of NATO.
Moscow is also demanding that Ukraine renounce its claims on Crimea and four other regions that have voted to become part of Russia.
