Trump: Putin Refuses Talks With Zelensky Due to Personal Dislike

U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House that Russian President Vladimir Putin refuses to meet with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky simply because he does not like him. Trump described the ongoing war as a matter of personal animosity and promised to bring the conflict to an end.

When asked by a journalist why Putin does not want to meet Zelensky, Trump replied bluntly: He doesn’t like him. He doesn’t like him.

The president also announced that the U.S. is no longer spending money on Ukraine, stressing that all negotiations concerning weapons procurement for Kyiv’s armed forces are now conducted through NATO.

Trump: War is a Personal Conflict

Trump characterized the Russia-Ukraine war as a personal conflict, explaining: And one of the problems that I thought would be the easiest, honestly, turned out to be Russia and Ukraine. But as it turned out, it’s tied to a very serious personality conflict. It’s one of those things. But in the end, we will stop it.

Security Guarantees Still Undecided

Asked about future security guarantees for Kyiv, Trump said details had not yet been discussed: We don’t know what the security guarantees will be, because we haven’t discussed specifics yet. We’ll see.

He added that European nations would provide Ukraine with substantial security guarantees, as they are geographically closer, while the U.S. would support Europe without clarifying how.

Trump’s Strategic Approach

According to Politico, Trump has long viewed Russia as holding the upper hand in the conflict, urging a more cautious approach toward Moscow. In contrast, he believes Ukraine’s heavy reliance on U.S. military aid and intelligence allows Washington to exert pressure on Kyiv to accept a deal.

One source told the outlet there are concerns that Trump may lose interest in the peace process if results are not achieved quickly.