On October 16, 2026, Donald Trump expressed sharp criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in an interview with Newsmax. He stated that Zelensky is 'not a person you want to deal with' and that negotiating with him is 'more difficult than with Putin'.
Criticism of Zelensky
Trump emphasized that, in his opinion, Zelensky has no intention of reaching a compromise in negotiations. He pointed out that although the Ukrainian president claims he wants to negotiate, this is not the case. Trump also expressed his distrust of Zelensky's intentions, saying, 'No, I’m not a big fan of Zelensky.'
Prospects for Conflict Resolution
Trump believes that eventually, the parties involved in the conflict may reach some form of resolution, but not with Zelensky. He expressed confidence that the negotiation process would take place without the participation of the Ukrainian president, as he considers that Zelensky is not interested in achieving peace.