Kremlin Blames Zelensky for Dismissing Peace Amid Tense Trump Encounter

On Monday, the Kremlin accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of dismissing peace initiatives following his contentious encounter with U.S. President Donald Trump.

«He does not desire peace. Someone must encourage him to seek peace. If European leaders manage to do it, then all credit goes to them,» Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told journalists.

He characterized the tense interaction between Trump and Zelensky on Friday as «an unparalleled incident» and blamed Zelensky for showing what he called «a complete absence of diplomatic skills, to put it mildly.»

Peskov noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin was informed about the meeting and suggested it strengthened Moscow’s position regarding the conflict.

The Kremlin spokesperson indicated that European leaders would need to mend relations with Trump, implying, «Someone will have to invest significant effort in discussions with Washington to mitigate the negative impressions that are undoubtedly lingering in the White House after negotiations with Zelensky.»

He further remarked that «it is clear that the efforts from Washington alone, coupled with Moscow’s willingness, will not suffice» to bring an end to the war in Ukraine.

These remarks followed emergency discussions among Ukraine’s European allies in London over the weekend, where Zelensky affirmed his commitment to collaborating with Europe to establish conditions for a potential peace agreement.

Peskov referred to the situation as «complex,» asserting that «the collective West has begun to partly lose its unified front» regarding Ukraine.

«While tentative peace proposals are being outlined, it is too early to declare that a cohesive peace plan exists,» he mentioned.

Meanwhile, Peskov reiterated that Russia is continuing its «special military operation» in Ukraine «to fulfill the objectives set from the outset.»