Speaking to reporters, Trump said Putin was already convinced of the need for a deal, while Zelensky was not.
"I really think Putin is more interested in making a deal than Zelensky. And we have to make Zelensky want to make it," The Moscow Times quoted Trump as saying.
According to Trump, Moscow and Kyiv "do not know" how to end the war. He also acknowledged "very strong mutual dislike" between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders.
Trump separately addressed the violation of the energy truce, saying "we first need to study this situation, because there were violations on both sides." A day earlier, Trump announced the start of a regime halting strikes on energy facilities, writing on Truth Social that "both sides agreed."
Zelensky, for his part, said Russia had violated the truce. According to him, strikes resumed shortly after the announcement, including on a thermal power plant in Kharkiv. "It became obvious that Putin does not read Truth Social," the Ukrainian president said. He called on the United States to take concrete steps and described the energy truce as a possible step toward ending the war.
Deutsche Welle also noted that the Kremlin had said contacts on the issue were continuing, without confirming compliance with the regime.
According to The Washington Post, behind the public sparring between Trump and Zelensky lies a more important process: the United States and Europe are moving toward drafting a joint peace proposal with financial benefits and security guarantees for both sides. According to columnist David Ignatius, this would create the basis for a territorial settlement in which neither side achieves its initial goals.
Sources also mention that the announcement of a diesel fuel deal between the United States and Russia coincided with negotiations by the Ukrainian delegation in Washington, which, according to the Financial Times, ended early.