US President Donald Trump has urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to negotiate a peace agreement with Russia, intensifying pressure on Kyiv as diplomatic tensions between Washington and Ukraine deepen.
Speaking to reporters, Trump argued that Zelenskyy could have reached an agreement with Moscow earlier. He referred to his contentious meeting with the Ukrainian leader in the Oval Office in February 2025.
Trump also suggested that Ukrainians would eventually oppose their president if he continued refusing to pursue a negotiated settlement.
Meanwhile, Trump disclosed that he had spoken extensively with Russian President Vladimir Putin about Stephen Hubbard, an elderly American citizen reportedly captured by Russian forces in Ukraine. Trump said he had requested Hubbard’s release but provided no further details about the discussions.
Relations between Washington and Kyiv have deteriorated in recent months following disagreements over Russia policy. Trump’s decision to partially ease sanctions against Moscow to secure a Russian diesel supply arrangement and his criticism of Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian fuel refineries have further strained ties.
Against this backdrop, Zelenskyy met US special envoy Steve Witkoff in Oslo on Tuesday to address the growing diplomatic rift. Following the meeting, the Ukrainian president welcomed the restoration of US intelligence sharing concerning impending Russian aerial attacks.
However, Zelenskyy stressed that Ukraine must not be excluded from international negotiations affecting its sovereignty and future.
Witkoff is scheduled to meet Putin in Moscow, with Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, expected to participate virtually. The discussions could influence Washington’s efforts to advance a settlement to the war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
