Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed willingness for peace talks with Ukraine but refuses to negotiate directly with President Zelenskyy, calling him 'illegitimate.' Zelenskyy has accused Putin of prolonging the war and manipulating negotiations.

Trump's election win in November had sparked hope of a diplomatic resolution to end Moscow's invasion of Ukraine that began in Feb. 2022, but it also led to fears in Kyiv that a quick peace deal could come at a high price for Ukraine.

Putin refuses direct talks with Zelenskyy, claims Ukraine's leader is "illegitimate", while Trump pressures both sides for peace.

Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy tells 'Hannity' why he's in favor of President Donald Trump's rhetoric toward Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky argued during an interview that President Trump’s recent tough rhetoric is what Russian President Vladimir Putin is “afraid of.” Since being sworn in, Trump has put more pressure on Putin to negotiate with Ukraine in order to reach a peace agreement that would potentially end the nearly three-year war in

This is exactly what Putin is afraid of. He doesn't want strong Trump supporting Ukraine because it would be a strong Ukraine," he said, noting that Ukraine has regained 50% of the Russian-occupied territory since the full-scale invasion began.