The White House on Thursday said that US President Donald Trump is “extremely frustrated” with Russia and Ukraine as peace negotiations drag on. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt made it clear that he’s done with endless talks and wants concrete steps to wrap up the four-year conflict, where the US plays a key mediating role.
“The president is extremely frustrated with both sides of this war. He’s sick of meetings just for the sake of meeting. He doesn’t want any more talk. He wants action. He wants this war to come to an end,” she said.
Leavitt stressed that the Trump team stays deeply committed to brokering peace. Trump spoke with European leaders just a day earlier, while Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and his group keep holding direct conversations with both parties “literally as we speak”.
“The United States and the Trump administration continue to be very much engaged in trying to bring the Russia-Ukraine war to an end. The President had a call with Europeans yesterday. His special envoy Witkoff and his team continue to talk with both sides literally as we speak. If there is a real chance of signing a peace agreement, if we feel like those meetings are worthy of someone in the United States’s time this weekend, then we will send a representative. It’s still up in the air whether we believe real peace can be accomplished and we can truly move the ball forward,” Leavitt stated.
VIDEO | On Russia-Ukraine war, the White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) says, “The US and the Trump administration continues to be very much engaged, and trying to bring Russia-Ukraine war to an end, President had a call with Europeans yesterday, his special… pic.twitter.com/digJx8m2sZ
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 11, 2025
On the Ukrainian side, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed Thursday that the US is pushing for his forces to withdraw from the Donetsk region in order to carve out a “free economic zone” in areas Kyiv still holds in eastern Ukraine, which is a zone Moscow aims to influence heavily, according to Al Jazeera reports.
Zelenskyy noted his team sent a 20-point counter-proposal to top US officials amid talks on security guarantees. He insisted any territorial giveaways would require a national referendum to pass muster.
Pressure from Washington mounts on Zelenskyy to seal a deal with Russia soon, with whispers that Trump eyes a Christmas deadline, Al Jazeera added. The broader plan features that 20-point framework, plus side agreements on security and rebuilding Ukraine.
Full specifics on this updated version, which tweaks an earlier US outline criticized as too Russia-friendly, remain under wraps.
