Zelensky: Trump Is Pressuring Ukraine on Peace Terms

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused U.S. President Donald Trump of placing disproportionate pressure on Kyiv to move quickly toward a negotiated settlement in the nearly four-year war with Russia. In an interview with Axios, Zelensky suggested that calls for Ukraine to make concessions risk undermining public support at home.

“Not Fair” Pressure on Ukraine

In the interview conducted by phone and published Tuesday by Axios, Zelensky said it was “not fair” that Trump had publicly urged Ukraine — rather than Russia — to take steps to advance peace talks.

“I hope it is just his tactics and not the decision,” Zelensky said, referring to Trump’s repeated calls for Kyiv to come to the negotiating table swiftly.

Trump, speaking aboard Air Force One on Monday, said: “Ukraine better come to the table fast. That's all I'm telling you.” He has twice in recent days indicated that responsibility for progress in negotiations lies largely with Ukraine and its leadership.

Zelensky suggested it may be easier politically to pressure Ukraine than Russia but cautioned against framing Kyiv as the primary obstacle to peace.

Territorial Concessions and Referendum Warning

Zelensky stressed that any peace framework requiring Ukraine to surrender territory not currently occupied by Russian forces in the eastern Donbas region would face overwhelming rejection by voters if put to a referendum.

Russia currently controls around 88% of Donbas, according to Zelensky’s remarks cited by Axios. He said conceding the remainder of the region would be unacceptable to the Ukrainian public.

“Emotionally, people will never forgive this. Never,” he said, adding that Ukrainians would not forgive either him or the United States if additional land were handed over. “This is part of our country, all these citizens, the flag, the land.”

He reiterated his call for freezing positions along the current front lines, arguing that formalizing the existing contact line in a negotiated document could gain public backing in a referendum.

Talks in Geneva and U.S. Contacts

The interview was conducted as U.S., Ukrainian and Russian negotiators met in Geneva for discussions aimed at advancing a potential settlement.

Zelensky thanked Trump for his peacemaking efforts and drew a distinction between the U.S. president’s public statements and his private diplomatic channels. He said his conversations with Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner did not involve the same level of pressure.

“We respect each other,” Zelensky said, adding that he was “not such a person” to yield easily under external pressure.

As negotiations continue, Zelensky’s remarks underscore the delicate balance Kyiv faces: pursuing diplomatic avenues to end the war while maintaining domestic political legitimacy and territorial integrity.