US President Donald Trump has taken aim at both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky as ceasefire negotiations remain in deadlock. Speaking on Sunday, Trump initially condemned Putin for questioning Zelensky’s credibility as a negotiating partner but later softened his stance on the Russian leader while warning Zelensky of “big, big problems” if he backed out of a rare earth minerals deal with the US.
Trump has been pushing for a swift resolution to the war and has pressured Zelensky to agree to an agreement granting US firms exclusive rights to Ukraine’s valuable rare earth minerals. Speaking to reporters aboard his flight to Washington, Trump expressed frustration over Zelensky’s apparent reluctance. He also downplayed Putin’s earlier remarks suggesting Zelensky was not a credible leader, stating that while he was “disappointed” in Putin’s comments, he remained confident in ongoing negotiations.
Despite US efforts to broker peace, the war continues to escalate. Putin recently rejected a US-Ukrainian proposal for a 30-day ceasefire and even suggested removing Zelensky from power as part of a potential settlement. Meanwhile, Russian forces have made territorial gains, capturing a village near Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region and intensifying strikes on Kharkiv, where at least two people were reportedly killed over the weekend.
With negotiations stalled, Zelensky urged Ukraine’s allies to increase pressure on Moscow, criticising Russia for stalling talks while continuing its offensive. “For too long now, America’s proposal for an unconditional ceasefire has been on the table without an adequate response from Russia,” he said in a Saturday night address.
