Trump Tells Zelensky to ‘Get Moving’ on Peace Negotiations

US President Donald Trump told reporters that President Volodymyr Zelensky was “going to have to get moving” on peace negotiations with Russia on Friday.

Ukraine has long engaged with efforts to negotiate a peace. In November 2025, a 28-point plan to end Russia’s full-scale war – drafted by the Trump administration with input from Kremlin officials – leaked to the press.

“Russia wants to make a deal, and Zelensky’s going to have to get moving, otherwise he’s going to miss a great opportunity. He has to move,” Trump said, according to AFP.

The last round of trilateral talks, hosted by Abu Dhabi, took place on Feb. 4-5. Although the talks resulted in the first prisoner exchange of 2026, there was little tangible progress towards a ceasefire.

While Ukrainian and US negotiators said the talks were constructive, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said earlier this week that the progress of talks had been overhyped – criticizing Washington for supposedly reneging on what Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed at a summit in Anchorage, Alaska, last year.

Zelensky said Wednesday that territorial issues will be the central focus of the next round of negotiations. Territory has long been a sticking point, as Russia continues to demand Ukraine concede territory Russia has proved unable to win on the battlefield.

Zelensky, who is currently in Germany to attend the Munich Security Conference, has not responded directly to Trump’s comments. However, he said in a Telegram post that he had discussed “diplomatic work” during his meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

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G7 Powers Push Russia to End Ukraine War

G7 leaders agreed to ramp up pressure on Russia with new energy sanctions, while President Donald Trump urged Moscow to “make a deal” after meeting Volodymyr Zelensky. Ukraine pushed for more air defenses and support, as Britain and Canada announced fresh sanctions targeting Russia’s shadow fleet and energy exports.

“Ukrainians, along with all other Europeans, must be confident in their future and that Russian aggression will never happen again. I thank the partners who understand this and help.”

Also on Friday, Merz said in his opening remarks to the conference that the global rules-based order “no longer exists” – and that “the leadership claim of the US is being challenged, perhaps already lost.”