Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on January 15, 2026
2 min readLast updated: January 19, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleZelenskiy reaffirms Ukraine's peace commitment after Trump suggests Ukraine is less ready for a deal. Russia's attacks continue, complicating diplomatic efforts.
Jan 15 (Reuters) - President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday that Ukraine is not an obstacle to peace, pushing back against comments made a day earlier by U.S. President Donald Trump.
"We also talked about diplomatic work with America – Ukraine has never been and will never be an obstacle to peace," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address, referring to a telephone conversation with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Trump, interviewed by Reuters on Wednesday, said he believed Ukraine was less ready than Russia to clinch a deal. Asked why U.S.-led negotiations had not yet resolved the nearly four-year-old war, Trump responded: "Zelenskiy."
In his comments, Zelenskiy said Russia's continued attacks on Ukrainian energy sites and other targets demonstrated that Moscow did not want peace.
"It is precisely Russian missiles, Russian 'Shaheds,' (drones) and Russia's attempt to destroy Ukraine that are clear evidence that Russia is not interested in agreements at all," he said.
In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia agreed with Trump that Zelenskiy was holding up a deal, saying President Vladimir Putin and the Russian side remain open to talks.
Zelenskiy pledged that Ukraine would pursue diplomatic efforts more actively.
Trump told Reuters on Wednesday that he believed Putin was "ready to make a deal. I think Ukraine is less ready to make a deal."
Trump and Zelenskiy have had an up-and-down relationship in dealing with efforts to resolve Europe's largest land conflict since World War Two.
Trump and U.S. Vice President JD Vance became engaged in a shouting match with Zelenskiy in the Oval Office in February 2025, suggesting the Ukrainian leader was not showing gratitude for U.S. assistance.
Their interactions appeared to improve in subsequent meetings.
(Reporting by Ron Popeski and Yuliia Dysa, Editing by Franklin Paul and Lisa Shumaker)
A central bank is a financial institution that manages a country's currency, money supply, and interest rates. It oversees the banking system and implements monetary policy to ensure economic stability.
Inflation is the rate at which the general level of prices for goods and services rises, eroding purchasing power. It is often measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
A diplomatic effort refers to the actions taken by a country or its representatives to manage international relations and resolve conflicts through dialogue, negotiation, and cooperation.
Explore more articles in the Headlines category
