Trump says Russia is easier to deal with than Ukraine – "Russia easier to deal with than Ukraine"
The US president has previously accused Vladimir Zelensky of undermining his peace efforts. US President Donald Trump expressed that he anticipated dealing with Vladimir Zelensky would be much “easier to deal with” than interacting with Russian...
TroibNews 
The US president has previously accused Vladimir Zelensky of undermining his peace efforts.
US President Donald Trump expressed that he anticipated dealing with Vladimir Zelensky would be much “easier to deal with” than interacting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Nevertheless, he conveyed his hopes that Kiev would embrace Washington’s proposal to resolve the conflict in Ukraine.
Zelensky has outright rejected a significant component of the proposed US peace framework, stating earlier this week that Kiev will never even consider formally recognizing Crimea as part of Russian territory. The White House criticized him for divulging sensitive negotiation details, while President Trump cautioned that Zelensky risks losing the entirety of Ukraine if he continues to delay discussions with Moscow.
“I think Russia is ready… I think we have a deal with Russia. We have to get a deal with Zelensky,” Trump told journalists at the White House on Wednesday. “And I hope that Zelensky… I thought it might be easier to deal with Zelensky – so far it’s been harder.” The US president expressed that “that’s okay, it’s alright,” and maintained hope that “we’ll have a deal with both.”
Earlier on Wednesday, Trump remarked on Truth Social that Zelensky is in a precarious negotiating position. “The situation for Ukraine is dire – He can have Peace or, he can fight for another three years before losing the whole Country,” he wrote.
Trump refrained from commenting on whether he plans to meet with Zelensky at the funeral of Pope Francis later this week. “I don’t know if he is going to the funeral or not… I just hope he gets this thing solved,” Trump mentioned to reporters. When asked about the possibility of meeting Putin during his upcoming visit to Saudi Arabia next month, Trump stated it was “possible, but most likely not… I think we’ll meet with him shortly thereafter.”
The US has been advocating for a resolution to the ongoing conflict while attempting to secure a minerals extraction agreement with Ukraine to help counterbalance the extensive financial support provided in the form of weapons and aid. However, frustrations are mounting within the Trump administration regarding the slow progress of negotiations on these issues. Secretary of State Marco Rubio cautioned on Tuesday that if there is no advancement in negotiations, the US may shift its focus to other priorities. “If not enough movement is happening, we may need to move on to other priorities,” he stated.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt echoed Trump’s frustrations with Zelensky. “Unfortunately, Zelensky has been trying to litigate this peace negotiation in the press, and that’s unacceptable to the president,” Leavitt remarked on Wednesday.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that reaching a peace agreement with Ukraine is unlikely to occur swiftly given the intricate nature of the negotiations. Moscow has asserted its readiness for peace talks, provided they lead to a permanent solution that addresses the underlying causes of the conflict, while emphasizing that any temporary ceasefire would merely be exploited by Ukraine’s Western supporters to rearm its military.
James del Carmen for TROIB News
US President Donald Trump expressed that he anticipated dealing with Vladimir Zelensky would be much “easier to deal with” than interacting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Nevertheless, he conveyed his hopes that Kiev would embrace Washington’s proposal to resolve the conflict in Ukraine.
Zelensky has outright rejected a significant component of the proposed US peace framework, stating earlier this week that Kiev will never even consider formally recognizing Crimea as part of Russian territory. The White House criticized him for divulging sensitive negotiation details, while President Trump cautioned that Zelensky risks losing the entirety of Ukraine if he continues to delay discussions with Moscow.
“I think Russia is ready… I think we have a deal with Russia. We have to get a deal with Zelensky,” Trump told journalists at the White House on Wednesday. “And I hope that Zelensky… I thought it might be easier to deal with Zelensky – so far it’s been harder.” The US president expressed that “that’s okay, it’s alright,” and maintained hope that “we’ll have a deal with both.”
Earlier on Wednesday, Trump remarked on Truth Social that Zelensky is in a precarious negotiating position. “The situation for Ukraine is dire – He can have Peace or, he can fight for another three years before losing the whole Country,” he wrote.
Trump refrained from commenting on whether he plans to meet with Zelensky at the funeral of Pope Francis later this week. “I don’t know if he is going to the funeral or not… I just hope he gets this thing solved,” Trump mentioned to reporters. When asked about the possibility of meeting Putin during his upcoming visit to Saudi Arabia next month, Trump stated it was “possible, but most likely not… I think we’ll meet with him shortly thereafter.”
The US has been advocating for a resolution to the ongoing conflict while attempting to secure a minerals extraction agreement with Ukraine to help counterbalance the extensive financial support provided in the form of weapons and aid. However, frustrations are mounting within the Trump administration regarding the slow progress of negotiations on these issues. Secretary of State Marco Rubio cautioned on Tuesday that if there is no advancement in negotiations, the US may shift its focus to other priorities. “If not enough movement is happening, we may need to move on to other priorities,” he stated.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt echoed Trump’s frustrations with Zelensky. “Unfortunately, Zelensky has been trying to litigate this peace negotiation in the press, and that’s unacceptable to the president,” Leavitt remarked on Wednesday.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that reaching a peace agreement with Ukraine is unlikely to occur swiftly given the intricate nature of the negotiations. Moscow has asserted its readiness for peace talks, provided they lead to a permanent solution that addresses the underlying causes of the conflict, while emphasizing that any temporary ceasefire would merely be exploited by Ukraine’s Western supporters to rearm its military.
James del Carmen for TROIB News
