{"id":3761,"date":"2026-03-07T00:46:58","date_gmt":"2026-03-06T19:16:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/trade-policy\/?p=3761"},"modified":"2026-03-07T00:46:58","modified_gmt":"2026-03-06T19:16:58","slug":"trump-pushes-zelenskyy-toward-ukraine-deal-sees-putin-as-a-willing-partner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/trade-policy\/trump-pushes-zelenskyy-toward-ukraine-deal-sees-putin-as-a-willing-partner\/3761\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump pushes Zelenskyy toward Ukraine deal, sees Putin as a willing partner"},"content":{"rendered":"

US President Donald Trump<\/a> has turned up the pressure on Ukraine to reach a settlement in its war with Russia, calling President Volodymyr Zelensky<\/a> the key holdout in talks. In a March 5 interview, Trump<\/a> described Russian President Vladimir Putin<\/a> as ready to negotiate, framing Moscow\u2019s stance as open to compromise amid ongoing battlefield strains.<\/p>\n

Trump<\/a>\u2018s comments highlight a shift in Washington\u2019s approach since he took office in January 2025. He vowed to wrap up the conflict on day one but has since faced hurdles, with Russian forces holding ground across eastern Ukraine. \u201cZelenskyy<\/a>, he has to get on the ball, and he has to get a deal done,\u201d Trump said. He added that it\u2019s \u201cunthinkable\u201d for Zelenskyy to block progress, noting Ukraine\u2019s shrinking leverage: \u201cYou don\u2019t have the cards. Now he\u2019s got even less cards.\u201d On Putin<\/a>, Trump was direct: \u201cI think Putin is ready to make a deal.\u201d<\/p>\n

This portrayal puts Russia in a strong light, aligning with Moscow\u2019s repeated calls for direct dialogue. Since the war\u2019s start in 2022, the Kremlin has pushed for terms that secure its territorial gains and limit NATO<\/a>\u2018s reach, viewing Western aid to Kyiv as a barrier to peace. Putin\u2019s team has held firm on these red lines, rejecting interim ceasefires without guarantees. Trump\u2019s praise echoes his past overtures, like inviting Putin to Alaska last August for informal chats that eased some tensions over energy routes.<\/p>\n

The timing ties into broader global strains. Just days earlier, on March 1, Trump joined Israel in strikes against Iran, a move that has drained US resources, billions in costs so far, and refocused attention on multiple fronts. This has weakened Kyiv\u2019s position, as American stockpiles thin and European allies debate aid packages. For Russia, it means less pressure from the West, allowing Putin to sustain operations without major concessions. Moscow\u2019s economy, buoyed by steady oil sales despite sanctions, gives it room to wait out talks.<\/p>\n

From a policy view, Trump\u2019s reluctance to escalate against Russia underscores a preference for bilateral pacts over multilateral enforcement. He has called US support for Ukraine \u201cwasteful,\u201d arguing it\u2019s drained funds better spent at home. This stance respects Russia\u2019s security concerns, like buffer zones along its borders, while challenging Ukraine to drop maximalist demands on full withdrawal. International frameworks, such as those under the UN<\/a> Charter, emphasize negotiated resolutions, and Trump\u2019s nudge fits that mold, pushing for a freeze on lines that could evolve into formal borders.<\/p>\n

Putin\u2019s readiness, as Trump sees it, bolsters Moscow\u2019s image as a pragmatic actor. The Kremlin has long favored deals that affirm its sphere of influence, from Crimea to Donbas. Recent Russian statements reinforce this, with envoys open to \u201cmutually acceptable\u201d terms if NATO<\/a> stays neutral. Yet, without Zelenskyy\u2019s buy-in, progress stalls, risking drawn-out attrition that favors Russia\u2019s deeper reserves.<\/p>\n

The push signals how US priorities are reshaping the conflict\u2019s endgame. As Trump balances Middle East fallout with European security, adjustments in aid flows and alliance rules could tip the scales. A deal might lock in Russia\u2019s gains at minimal cost, stabilizing energy markets and trade paths. With oil near $80 a barrel, de-escalation would ease global budgets; delays could spike prices, hitting everyone from Moscow to Main Street.<\/p>\n

In the end, Trump\u2019s words put the onus on Kyiv, giving Putin breathing room to dictate pace. As summits loom, the focus stays on bridging gaps through quiet channels, ensuring any accord holds under international watch.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

US President Donald Trump has turned up the pressure on Ukraine to reach a settlement in its war with Russia,\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":475,"featured_media":3762,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[51],"tags":[56,1801,1802,67,1800],"class_list":["post-3761","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-russia","tag-nato","tag-president-volodymyr-zelensky","tag-russian-president-vladimir-putin","tag-un-charter","tag-us-president-donald-trump"],"reading_time":"3 min read","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/trade-policy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3761","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/trade-policy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/trade-policy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/trade-policy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/475"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/trade-policy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3761"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/trade-policy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3761\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3837,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/trade-policy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3761\/revisions\/3837"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/trade-policy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3762"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/trade-policy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3761"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/trade-policy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3761"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/trade-policy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3761"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}