Trump says Zelensky ‘had no cards from day one’

US President Donald Trump has said Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky lacks leverage to negotiate peace with Russia, arguing that without his personal intervention the conflict would have spiralled into a far broader crisis for both Kiev and its European backers.

Speaking in a New York Times interview released on Sunday, Trump revisited his role in US-led mediation efforts and bluntly dismissed Zelensky’s bargaining position, saying, “He doesn’t have the cards. He didn’t have them from day one. He’s only got one thing – Donald Trump.”

Trump was responding to a question referencing a highly publicised Oval Office confrontation last year, when he told Zelensky he had “no cards.” The president maintained that assessment has not changed, despite ongoing negotiations shaped around a leaked peace framework that initially included 28 points. The proposal reportedly envisaged Ukraine ceding remaining parts of Donbass to Russia, abandoning its NATO ambitions, and accepting limits on its armed forces. Although the plan was later shortened to 20 points, major disagreements remain, with Kiev resisting territorial concessions and Western allies criticising the framework as overly favourable to Moscow.

Trump insisted his involvement had been decisive in preventing a catastrophic escalation. “That thing would have been a total disaster, and [Zelensky] knows it, and the European leaders know it,” he said. “If I wasn’t involved, I think that could have evolved into a third world war… That won’t happen anymore.” However, he declined to set any timetable for a settlement, saying only: “We’re doing the best we can. I don’t have a timeline… I just would like to see the war end.”

The president added that both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelensky appear open to a deal, “but we’ll find out.” Trump last month described a peace agreement as “95% ready” following talks with Zelensky in Miami, an assessment later echoed by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Since then, tensions have resurfaced as Ukraine and members of a self-described “coalition of the willing” in Western Europe agreed in principle to deploy troops to Ukraine as a post-settlement security guarantee, a move Moscow has repeatedly rejected. The Kremlin has warned that any foreign troop presence would be viewed as direct intervention, with Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova cautioning that such deployments would not be tolerated. Trump has previously ruled out sending US forces to Ukraine, and his envoy Steve Witkoff has declined to confirm any American role in the proposed arrangement.