White House: Zelensky is “moving in the wrong direction” regarding peace talks

Washington stated that Volodymyr Zelensky was supposedly "moving in the wrong direction" regarding negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.

This was reported by spokeswoman Karoline Levitt during a conversation with reporters on April 23.

According to her, the US President Donald Trump is disappointed with the pace of peace talks, because he wants to do what is "right for the world".

“His patience is at its limit. He wants the killings to stop, but for that to happen, both sides of the war need to be ready. Unfortunately, President Zelensky seems to be moving in the wrong direction,” Levitt says.

The White House spokeswoman added that Volodymyr Zelensky is allegedly trying to challenge the peace talks in the media, which is unacceptable for the president. She is convinced that these talks should take place behind closed doors.

"The President [Trump] is not asking Ukraine to recognize Crimea [as Russian] — no one asked them to. What he is asking is for people to come to the negotiating table, recognizing that this is a brutal war that has been going on for far too long. In order to make a good deal, both sides have to come out of the negotiations a little dissatisfied," the official emphasized.

Ceasefire negotiations

Washington is negotiating with Russia and Ukraine to end the war, but a true ceasefire is still in sight. Kyiv has already agreed to halt hostilities in the Black Sea and not attack Russian energy facilities during a 30-day truce. Moscow, in return, has only promised not to attack energy facilities and said it would implement the Black Sea agreements only after Western sanctions are lifted.

The New York Post reported on April 19 that the US wants to agree on the terms of a full and comprehensive ceasefire in London next week, followed by talks with Moscow. According to the publication, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov told US officials that Kyiv “90% supports” President Trump’s peace plan, which US officials presented to him during meetings in Paris.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense later denied that Kyiv had "90% agreed" with the US peace plan.

• According to Bloomberg, the American side in Paris presented to the allies a proposal for a settlement in Ukraine, which includes conditions for a cessation of hostilities and easing of sanctions against Russia. This proposal would effectively freeze the war, and the Ukrainian territories currently occupied by Russia would remain under Moscowʼs control, the publicationʼs sources said.
• Marco Rubio said after meeting with allies in Paris that the United States could end its mediation efforts in Ukraine in a matter of days if it does not see clear signs of a peace deal. Trump confirmed his words the same day.
• It was expected that Washington would propose recognizing illegally annexed Crimea as part of the Russian Federation and freezing the front line as part of a peace agreement as early as April 23, as reported by The Washington Post.
• Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine has not received any official proposals for the exchange or relinquishment of territories, and Kyiv does not legally recognize Russiaʼs annexation of Crimea.
• Trump criticized Zelensky for his statement that Ukraine does not legally recognize Crimea as Russian. The American president is convinced that this statement is "very damaging to peace negotiations with Russia" and that Crimea "was lost during the presidency of Barack Obama".

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