US President Donald Trump is “extremely frustrated” with Russia and Ukraine over the ongoing war, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Thursday.
“He doesn’t want any more talk. He wants action. He wants this war to come to an end,” she said.
Despite a recent US diplomatic push, Ukraine and Russia have rejected key elements of Washington’s proposal, and talks on a final plan are ongoing.
Ukraine is insisting on US and European security guarantees before agreeing to end the war, while Russia is demanding territorial concessions, which Ukraine considers unacceptable and says would leave it exposed to future attacks.
At a glance: what the different sides want
Ukraine, Russia, the US and Europe are all pursuing slightly — or very — different goals. Here is a quick overview of the key points:
- Ukraine wants security guarantees, rejects territorial concessions and wants to keep the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant
- Russia seeks control of all of the Donbas region and opposes NATO expansion
- Europe and NATO are pushing for a fair peace and warn of the urgent threat to Europe from Russia
- The US wants the war ended fast and is increasingly frustrated with the protracted peace talks
Read on for a more in-depth look at each side.
What does Ukraine want?
Ukraine has submitted a response to a revised 20-point US plan this week, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Washington is still urging Kyiv to make major territorial concessions as part of a potential accord.
“They see Ukrainian forces leaving the territory of Donetsk region, and the supposed compromise is that Russian forces do not enter this territory … which they already call a ‘free economic zone’,” Zelenskyy told reporters on Thursday.
The 20-point draft reportedly proposed the creation of a demilitarized zone along the line of contact.
The Ukrainian leader said any compromise on territory should be decided by popular vote.
“I believe that the people of Ukraine will answer this question. Whether through elections or a referendum, there must be a position from the people of Ukraine,” he told journalists.
Zelenskyy said the other major sticking point is who controls the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
The US has offered potential joint governance of the plant, the largest such facility in Europe which is currently occupied by Russia.
Moscow wants to keep the station under its own control, but Kyiv opposes Russia retaining it.
Zelenskyy said the US had not imposed a strict deadline to accept the peace plan, despite reports Trump wanted Ukraine to accept it by Christmas.
“I think they really wanted, or perhaps still want, to have a complete understanding of where we stand with this agreement by Christmas,” he said.
What does Russia want?
Russia wants a set of agreements to end the war in Ukraine, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Thursday. He repeated Moscow’s stance that the “root causes” of the conflict must be resolved before any peace deal can be agreed.
“We insist on a set of agreements for lasting, sustainable peace with security guarantees for all countries involved,” Lavrov said.
He said Moscow has relayed to Washington “additional proposals, concerning collective security guarantees” that Ukraine and Europe say are needed to deter future aggression.
Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said on Friday Moscow has not seen the revised US proposals made after recent talks with Ukraine, but that it may not like parts of them.
Russia has in recent months made a determined push to gain control of all parts of Donetsk and neighboring Luhansk, which together make up Ukraine’s valuable Donbas industrial region that Kyiv wants to hold onto in any settlement.
“A ceasefire can only come about after the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops,” Kremlin foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov said on Friday.
Russian newspaper Kommersant reported he also added the area they currently control on Donbas must be taken over by Russian National Guard.
Moscow had previously dismissed plans for European troop deployments in Ukraine after the war and opposed Kyiv’s bid to join NATO.
European and NATO officials say there is still no indication that Russian President Vladimir Putin genuinely seeks a peace agreement.
What does Europe want?
Ukraine’s European allies have backed its push for a fair settlement that prevents future Russian attacks and protects Europe’s security.
On Thursday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer held a conference call with the leaders of the so-called Coalition of the Willing.
They agreed it is a “pivotal moment” for Ukraine to secure a “just and lasting” ceasefire.
“What President Trump wants, what Ukraine wants, what Europeans want is the same thing, which is a just and lasting peace in Ukraine after the nearly four-year aggression from Putin and Russia,” Starmer said. “So we’re working towards that aim.”
Starmer, however, added that a “number of issues still to be resolved.”
While European leaders are pushing for a fair settlement, NATO officials are concerned about broader security risks. NATO chief Mark Rutte warned that Europeans must be ready for war on the scale faced by their “grandparents or great-grandparents.”
In a speech in Berlin, Rutte said too many allies of the military alliance did not feel the urgency of Russia’s threat in Europe.
“We are Russia’s next target. I fear that too many are quietly complacent. Too many don’t feel the urgency. And too many believe that time is on our side. It is not. The time for action is now,” Rutte said.
“Conflict is at our door. Russia has brought war back to Europe. And we must be prepared,” he added.
What will the US do next?
Before Donald Trump returned to office, he promised to end the war within the first 24 hours of his second term.
But while Trump, who has repeatedly said he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize, has had some success getting warring parties to talk in other disputes, peace in Ukraine remains elusive.
On Wednesday, he said he discussed proposals to end the war in “pretty strong terms” with European leaders.
He was still deciding on Friday whether they would send someone to attend a meeting European leaders wanted this weekend with the US and Ukraine.
“If there is a real chance of signing a peace agreement, if we feel like those meetings are worthy of someone on the United States’ time this weekend, then we will send a representative,” press secretary Leavitt said.
Edited by: Karl Sexton
