In an interview with Reuters, US President Donald Trump said that Kyiv, not Moscow, is creating obstacles to ending the war and reaching a peace agreement in Ukraine. It is noted that the conversation took place on January 14 in the Oval Office, and the material was published on January 15.
According to Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin is "ready to make a deal," while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is "less ready to make a deal."
When Reuters reporters asked the US leader why negotiations led by the US still haven't resolved the largest conflict in Europe since the end of World War II, Trump briefly replied, "Zelensky." He did not disclose the remaining details.
However, there is also an important background that Reuters previously cited. In December 2025, the agency, citing sources, reported that, according to US intelligence estimates, Putin, despite publicly speaking about peace, has not fundamentally changed the goals of the war and is still striving for full control over Ukrainian territory.
These conclusions are said to largely coincide with the assessments of European special services - that is, the suspicion that "the matter is one thing, the intention is another" is still alive in the West.
The assessments given by Europe are close to the same picture. German Foreign Minister Johann Vadeful stated in a December statement that Putin is constantly looking for excuses not to start peace talks and therefore does not believe that he will seriously approach the negotiations.
In conclusion, there are currently two images on the field: Trump says "Kyiv is slow" and "Moscow is ready"; while intelligence and European diplomacy are signaling that "Putin's war objectives haven't changed yet." The main question now is whether there will be real progress or not - not statements, but what the conditions and guarantees will look like. Because peace is not a post, interview, or hype; it begins with clear commitments on paper.
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