US President Donald Trump told Reuters that Ukraine - not Russia - is holding up a potential peace deal, ‍rhetoric that stands in marked contrast to that of European allies, who have consistently argued Moscow has little interest in ending its war in Ukraine.

Axar.az reports in an exclusive interview with Reuters in the Oval Office on Wednesday, Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to wrap up his nearly four-year-old invasion of Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelensky, the US president said, was more reticent.

“I think he’s ready ⁠to make a deal,” Trump said of the Russian president. “I think Ukraine is less ready to make a deal.”

Asked why US-led negotiations had not yet resolved Europe’s largest land conflict since World War Two, Trump responded: “Zelensky.”

Trump’s comments suggested renewed frustration with the Ukrainian leader. The two presidents have long had a volatile relationship, though their interactions seem to have improved over Trump’s first year back in office.