WASHINGTON, United States: US President Donald Trump on Thursday described Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky as the obstacle to a deal with Russia, whose leader Vladimir Putin he insisted was cooperative.
“Zelenksy, he has to get on the ball, and he has to get a deal done,” Trump said in an interview with Politico.
Trump, returning to language he used during a tense White House meeting a year ago where he and Vice President JD Vance publicly berated Zelensky, suggested that the Ukrainian leader was in a weak position and needed to make compromises.
“It´s unthinkable that he´s the obstacle,” Trump was quoted as saying. “You don´t have the cards. Now he´s got even less cards.”
“I think Putin is ready to make a deal,” Trump said.
Trump has long said that US support for Ukraine is wasteful to the United States and has spoken admirably in the past about Putin, whom he invited to Alaska in August.
Trump´s latest comments on Ukraine came after he launched a war with Israel against Iran on Saturday, which is estimated to have cost the United States billions of dollars already.
Trump vowed to end the Ukraine war on his first day in office in January 2025 but has acknowledged that he has found the goal difficult, with Russia keeping up attacks on Ukraine.Trump has balked at taking more aggressive action against Putin, arguing that he is the only leader who can negotiate with both sides.Earlier, Ukraine and Russia each freed 200 prisoners of war on Thursday, the first part of an exchange that will see them swap 500 people each in total, officials said.
The two sides agreed to the exchange during talks in Geneva last month, both sides said. Prisoner swaps are one of the few areas of cooperation between the warring countries.
“Today, 200 Ukrainian families received the most-awaited message -- their loved ones are coming home,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on social media.
Video shared by Ukrainian Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets showed servicemen leaving buses, wrapped in Ukrainian flags and shouting “Glory to Ukraine!”, as well as embracing those who came to welcome them.
