President Donald Trump compared efforts to broker a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to “mixing oil and vinegar,” admitting that progress toward direct peace talks remains elusive.
Speaking to reporters in Washington, Trump said: “We’re going to see if Putin and Zelensky will be working together. You know, it’s like oil and vinegar, a little bit. They don’t get along too well, for obvious reasons.”
His remarks came shortly after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov declared that “no meeting [is] planned” between the two leaders, despite Trump’s repeated suggestions that a summit was the next step toward ending the war in Ukraine.
When asked whether he would personally attend such a meeting, Trump replied: “We’ll see.”
Moscow Blames Kyiv for Stalled Talks
Lavrov, speaking earlier to NBC News, accused Ukraine of obstructing negotiations. He claimed that while Putin was prepared to show “flexibility,” Zelensky “said ‘no’ to everything.”
“The agenda is not ready at all,” Lavrov said, insisting that Moscow could not meet a leader who “pretends to be a leader” and rejected Russian demands, including lifting restrictions on the Russian language in Ukraine.
Zelensky dismissed the accusations during a meeting in Kyiv with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. “The Russians are doing everything they can to prevent the meeting from taking place,” he said. “Unlike Russia, Ukraine is not afraid of any meeting with leaders.”
Trump Criticizes Biden’s War Strategy
Trump has repeatedly argued that the war would not have started under his presidency. On his Truth Social platform, he accused President Joe Biden of making it “impossible” for Ukraine to win by restricting Kyiv’s ability to strike inside Russia.
“It is very hard, if not impossible, to win a war without attacking an invader’s country,” Trump wrote. “Crooked and grossly incompetent Joe Biden would not let Ukraine FIGHT BACK, only DEFEND. How did that work out?”
Biden had imposed limits on Ukraine’s use of U.S.-supplied weapons, including HIMARS rocket systems, though he eased some restrictions last year to allow strikes into Russia’s Belgorod and Kursk regions.
Security Guarantees at Stake
Zelensky has said he would only consider meeting Putin once “security guarantees architecture” for Ukraine was agreed upon. He suggested a potential trilateral summit involving Trump could be hosted in Switzerland, Austria, or Turkey, though he rejected Hungary as a venue.
“We want to have an understanding of the security guarantees within seven to ten days,” Zelensky told reporters. “Only then, based on that understanding, can a meeting go ahead.”
The Ukrainian president also urged Washington to deliver a “strong reaction” if Putin refuses bilateral talks.
Escalating Violence
The diplomatic wrangling comes as Russia intensifies its air assaults on Ukrainian cities. Drone and missile strikes hit the outskirts of Lviv this week, setting buildings ablaze in the village of Sknyliv.
Despite the renewed violence, Trump said he remains committed to pursuing negotiations. “Interesting times ahead,” he posted, hinting at his impatience with Russia’s escalation but leaving open the possibility of future diplomacy.
