Trump emphasized that "Russia wants to make a deal" and added that [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky needs to take the initiative, or he risks missing a unique opportunity. These comments were made by him on Friday in response to a question about whether Washington continues to insist on holding presidential elections in Ukraine before summer.
In turn, Volodymyr Zelensky commented on possible concessions that Kyiv might make under U.S. pressure.
During the Security Conference in Munich, the Ukrainian president gave an interview to a journalist from Politico.
"We are receiving signals from the American side, including from President Trump, that it is time for compromises and that we can take certain steps forward. We have already made many compromises. Putin and his supporters are not in prison — this is the biggest compromise that the world has made," Zelensky said.
He also explained that, under U.S. pressure, Ukraine agreed to a ceasefire without preconditions, but Russia rejected this proposal.
Earlier, Ukrainian and Western officials told the Financial Times (FT) that Kyiv is preparing to hold presidential elections and a referendum on a peace agreement with Russia in the spring of 2026. They noted that Zelensky might make an official statement about this on February 24, the day of the fourth anniversary of the start of the Russian military operation.
Previously, the Trump administration insisted that Ukraine hold both votes by May 15 and complete peace negotiations with Russia by summer, according to FT sources.
However, Zelensky later denied the newspaper's information, stating that "we will talk about elections when all necessary security guarantees are provided." He added that questions about elections are most often raised by allies, not Kyiv itself, and emphasized that security remains the main prerequisite for their conduct.
