Trump presses Kyiv to reach a deal with Moscow

On Tuesday, 20 October, US President Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that Ukraine must want to settle the war with Russia. He warned that things would go very badly if Volodymyr Zelensky did not show the will to end it. Trump argued that American taxpayers had grown tired of paying for the war, and claimed Washington had given Ukraine probably more money than almost anyone, in the hundreds of billions of dollars, with nothing returned. The Council on Foreign Relations puts the total approved by the US Congress for Ukraine related to the war at 195 billion dollars by the end of March. Trump also said he had asked Vladimir Putin to release Stephen Hubbard, an American citizen held by Russian forces after his arrest in Ukraine, and that the outcome remained to be seen.

Zelensky backs talks and a ceasefire

Zelensky said his talks with US envoy Steve Witkoff in Oslo the day before had been productive and that Ukraine is ready for diplomacy. Speaking to Fox News on 21 October, he said he hoped for a positive result within a few hours, as Witkoff was holding meetings in Russia that day. He thanked the United States for restoring intelligence sharing and said he hoped restrictions on the Starlink and Starshield satellite services would be lifted soon. He called it important to freeze the fighting and turn toward a deal that includes security guarantees, and he welcomed Trump's call for a ceasefire. Zelensky also said it was important to negotiate in a trilateral format with himself, Trump and Putin, and that European countries should be included as well.

Fears in Kyiv and across Europe

In a brief remark, Trump said the war in Ukraine was not a conflict with fault on both sides, and that Russia had been fine when it came to Ukraine and had not done much. For residents of Kyiv, who have endured weeks of intensified bombardment, and for Ukraine's European allies, the remark reinforced a growing sense that the United States is taking Putin's side. Kaja Kallas, the EU's top diplomat, told the European Parliament on Tuesday that US negotiators have been trying to push Ukraine into capitulation for almost two years. She added that Ukraine has not agreed to Putin's terms so far because Europe provides it with substantial support. Politico reported that EU officials fear Trump dislikes Zelensky so much that he will not press for a fair peace.

Personal motives and a diplomat's view

David Lidington, a former British government minister who is now a distinguished fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London, told POLITICO he really believed the matter was personal. He pointed to Trump's self-centredness, his affinity for dictators and authoritarian leaders, and his wish to open opportunities for American business as strong motives. EU officials privately concur, and one government official said Trump does not like Zelensky and simply cannot stomach him. Another EU diplomat said many European governments resent being left out of Trump's talks with Putin. A further EU diplomat said the US administration appears more pro-Russian than anything else, and that Europe broadly agrees Putin does not want peace and that pressure will have to be applied to Russia.