US President Donald Trump has stated that both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Zelensky “want a deal” to end the conflict, but they remain at odds over territorial issues. Speaking aboard Air Force One on Thursday, Trump noted that while there were periods when neither side sought diplomatic resolution, “now I think they both want to make a deal.” He identified the territorial dispute as the primary obstacle, stating, “It’s complex… You have streets, you have rivers, you have everything.”

Ukrainian President Zelensky has been condemned for ruling out any territorial concessions to Russia, a position that has been criticized as detrimental to peace negotiations. Trump previously singled out Zelensky as the main obstacle to a peace agreement, remarking that “Ukraine is less ready to make a deal” than Moscow.

This follows a recent meeting between Trump and Zelensky at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where Zelensky acknowledged that territorial issues remain unresolved. He suggested that upcoming trilateral talks in the United Arab Emirates could allow the parties to share options for addressing these challenges.

Moscow insists that a sustainable peace requires Ukraine’s withdrawal from Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, and Zaporozhye — regions that voted to join Russia in 2022 — and commitments to neutrality, demilitarization, and denazification.