Trump wants action, not talk, says White House on stalled Russia-Ukraine peace deal

US President Donald Trump is growing increasingly frustrated with the slow pace of negotiations to end the Russia-Ukraine war, the White House said on Thursday, signalling a harder line from Washington as efforts to broker a settlement stall. The conflict, now in its fourth year, has seen repeated rounds of talks without conclusive progress.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the President is no longer interested in "meetings just for the sake of meeting" and expects tangible movement from both Moscow and Kyiv. She said Trump wants "action, not more talk," as the US continues to serve as the primary mediator between the two sides.

TRUMP WANTS RESULTS, NOT MORE TALKS

"The President is extremely frustrated with both sides of this war. He's sick of meetings just for the sake of meeting. He doesn't want any more talk. He wants action. He wants this war to come to an end," Leavitt told reporters during a briefing.

She said Trump had spoken with European leaders on Wednesday to coordinate diplomatic efforts and confirmed that US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and his team were engaged in real-time discussions with both Russian and Ukrainian representatives.

Regarding whether the US would send a senior official to upcoming peace talks scheduled for this weekend, Leavitt said the decision had not yet been taken. "If there is a real chance of signing a peace agreement, if we feel like those meetings are worthy of someone in the United States' time this weekend, then we will send a representative. It's still up in the air whether we believe real peace can be accomplished," she said.

ZELENSKYY UNDER PRESSURE AS US PUSHES FOR DEAL

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier said Washington has been pressing Kyiv to consider withdrawing forces from parts of the Donetsk region to create a "free economic zone" in government-controlled eastern Ukraine.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine had submitted a 20-point set of counter-proposals to American officials, including terms for security guarantees. He reiterated that any concession involving territory would require public approval through a national referendum.

Reports have suggested that Trump wants a peace agreement concluded by Christmas, adding to the political pressure on Kyiv as battles continue in the Donbas region and at key strategic sites.

The US-backed peace proposal includes a 20-point framework, along with separate documents on reconstruction and long-term security provisions. The revised draft reportedly moves away from earlier US proposals seen by Kyiv as leaning too far toward Moscow's terms, though the latest version has not been released publicly.

Zelenskyy said major sticking points remain the future status of the Donetsk region and the governance of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which Russia still controls. He added that Ukraine's negotiating stance continues to stress sovereignty, territorial integrity and international oversight of sensitive infrastructure.

- Ends

With inputs from agencies

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