The president of the United States, , declared last night to the agency that Ukraine, and not Russia, is delaying a possible peace agreement. This rhetoric contrasts sharply with that of its European allies, who have consistently argued that Moscow has little interest in ending its war in Ukraine.
In an exclusive interview in the Oval Office on Wednesday, Trump said the Russian president, , is ready to conclude his nearly four-year-old invasion of Ukraine. The Ukrainian, according to the American president, was more reticent. “I think he’s ready to make a deal,” Trump said of the Russian president. “I think Ukraine is less prepared to reach an agreement.”
Asked why US-led negotiations had not yet resolved Europe’s biggest land conflict since the 1990s, Trump replied: “Zelensky.”
Trump’s comments suggested renewed frustration with the Ukrainian leader. The two presidents have long had an uneasy relationship, although their interactions appear to have improved during Trump’s first year in office.
Trump has at times been more willing to take Putin’s assurances at face value than the leaders of some US allies, frustrating kyiv, European capitals and US lawmakers, including some Republicans.
In December, Reuters reported that U.S. intelligence reports continued to warn that Putin had not abandoned his goals of capturing all of Ukraine and recapturing parts of Europe that belonged to the . Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard disputed that report at the time.
“It’s hard to achieve!”
After several ups and downs, US-led negotiations have focused in recent weeks on security guarantees for a post-war Ukraine, to ensure that Russia does not invade again following a possible peace agreement.
Generally speaking, U.S. negotiators have pressed Ukraine to abandon its eastern Donbas region as part of any deal with Russia.
What’s coming?
- Ukrainian officials have been closely involved in the recent talks, led by US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law. Some European officials have cast doubt on the likelihood of Putin accepting some terms recently negotiated by kyiv, Washington and European leaders.
- Trump told Reuters he was unaware of a possible trip to Moscow by Witkoff and Kushner, which Bloomberg reported on Wednesday. Asked if he would meet Zelenskiy at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, next week, Trump said yes, but hinted that he had no clear plans. “I would, if he’s there,” Trump responded. “I’ll be there.”
Asked why he thought Zelensky was delaying negotiations, Trump did not elaborate, saying only: “I just think, you know, he’s having a hard time getting there.”
Zelensky has publicly ruled out any territorial concessions to Moscow, saying kyiv has no right under the country’s constitution to cede any territory.
State of emergency
The Government of Ukraine has also declared this Wednesday a state of energy emergency throughout the country amid the attacks by the Russian Army and the extreme cold of this time of year, where 18 degrees below zero have been reached at night.
“The consequences of the Russian attacks and the worsening weather conditions are serious (…) In general, a state of emergency will be declared for Ukraine’s energy sector,” Ukrainian President Zelensky said in a statement on social networks after a meeting on the matter with other authorities.
A woman walks down a street during a power outage caused by a Russian attack in kyiv, Ukraine, on January 9, 2026.
The president has announced the establishment of “a permanent coordination headquarters” to address the situation in the capital, kyiv, and in this sense he has tasked the former Minister of Defense and current head of Energy, Denis Schmigal, with “supervising the work to support people and communities” affected by the cuts in the electricity supply and the lack of heating, in addition to the “resolution of practical issues.”
“There are many problems that require an urgent solution,” he declared after ensuring that repair teams, energy companies, municipal services and the State Emergency Service are working “tirelessly” to restore supply, especially in kyiv, where networks were disabled during a Russian attack last Friday while temperatures reach 12 degrees below zero during the day and 18 below zero at night.
In that message, in addition to the diagnosis, he announced measures to provide solutions:
- Public administrations “will maximize efforts with their partners to obtain the necessary equipment and additional support” and that their Executive “will guarantee maximum deregulation of all processes to connect backup power equipment to the grid.”
- He assured that “work is being done to significantly increase the volume of electricity imports to Ukraine.”
- He has ordered his Cabinet to review “the curfew rules for this extremely cold weather”, arguing that “people must have the greatest possible access to assistance points, and businesses, every opportunity to plan their operations in accordance with the situation of the energy system.”
- “In kyiv, the number of invulnerability points must be increased and the existing ones must be inspected” and has indicated that the central government is waiting for “proposals from the Ministry of Education and local authorities” on formats that ensure the delivery of classes during this state of emergency. “It is essential that state institutions, companies and all levels of local government now work in a coherent and coordinated manner. The result of each of them contributes to the collective result of the entire country,” he concluded.
