In a Dec. 8 interview at the White House, U.S. President Donald Trump delivered a series of stark assessments regarding Russia's war against Ukraine, the negotiation process, and the role of President Volodymyr Zelensky. He placed particular emphasis on the need for Ukrainian presidential elections and urged Kyiv to expedite decisions on his team's peace proposals.
According to Trump, "the time has come" for elections in Ukraine.
"They use the war not to run an election, but I think the Ukrainian people would have to have that option. And maybe Zelensky would win," he said.
"Russia Has the Advantage"
When asked who currently holds the stronger negotiating position, Trump was unequivocal: Russia. He cited the country's sheer size and reiterated his claim that a full-scale invasion would never have occurred had he been in office earlier.
In this context, Trump stated he does not view Ukraine's situation as being close to victory. He noted that Kyiv has already lost significant territory and coastal access, describing current map changes as an expansion of losses. "You certainly wouldn't say it's a victory," the U.S. President concluded.
Pressure on Zelensky and the "Peace Proposal"
Trump also claimed that a recent settlement draft being discussed by his representatives was generally well-received by high-ranking Ukrainian officials. However, he expressed frustration that President Zelensky, according to him, had not yet reviewed the text.
The President emphasized that he does not plan to "abandon Ukraine," but expects greater readiness for decision-making from Kyiv.
According to Trump, Zelensky "has to start accepting something" because he is "losing." While acknowledging the courage of the Ukrainian people and their army, he added that in a war of this magnitude, "size wins in the end."
Trump separately attributed the difficulty of negotiations to the level of personal hostility between the warring leaders. "Putin and Zelensky hate each other," he said, noting that this significantly complicates reaching any agreement.
Crimea and Past U.S. Administrations
Addressing the war's origins, Trump revisited the topic of Crimea. He asserted that the Obama administration effectively "gave away" the peninsula to Russia, calling it a major turning point in a conflict that, in his words, had "stunk" since 2014.
Trump delivered another harsh critique regarding past U.S. aid. He claimed Zelensky "extracted $350 billion from Biden," arguing that the result was that "about 25% of his country is gone." These remarks served as part of his criticism of the Biden administration's approach to the war and funding for Ukraine.
The Broader Signal
Taken together, the U.S. President's statements form a clear message regarding his stance on the war: recognition of the Ukrainian army's resilience is paired with public pressure on Kyiv regarding political decisions—specifically around peace proposals and elections. Trump frames this as a pragmatic approach to the balance of power, formulated simply: in his view, Russia has the advantage, and Ukraine must act faster if it wants to stop the war.
Also, recall the potential Plan B for Ukraine: the EU is preparing an alternative to Trump's initiative.
