Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed support for Donald Trump’s proposal that Ukraine and Russia “freeze the war along the current front lines,” calling it “a good compromise,” even though he acknowledged that Moscow has made it clear it would not accept such a deal.
“I think it was a good compromise, but I’m not sure that (Vladimir) Putin would support it, and I told the president that,” Zelensky said during a visit to Oslo — part of a Scandinavian tour to seek additional military support.
Earlier this week, the U.S. president told reporters aboard Air Force One: “They can negotiate something later. But I said, let’s stop at the battle line.” He spoke shortly before a planned summit with Vladimir Putin was suspended, after Russia reiterated that its goal of taking the entire eastern Donbas region — including areas still held by Ukraine — had not changed.
Trump’s latest remarks were seen as a modest victory for Zelensky. Recently, Trump had also dashed Ukraine’s hopes of receiving Tomahawk missiles for Kyiv after a phone call with Putin. Zelensky and his senior officials have previously admitted that Ukraine is unlikely to reclaim all of its occupied territory through military means, and they have privately told Washington and European partners that they would be open to “freezing the front lines.”
However, Zelensky’s public endorsement of such a plan marks a clear shift from his earlier stance, when Kyiv had vowed to retake all the land lost to Russia.
The American leader has frequently shifted his approach to key aspects of the war — including whether a ceasefire should come before broader peace talks — and has at times appeared to consider Putin’s demands that Ukraine cede more territory.
Meanwhile, Russia has made it clear that its maximalist position remains unchanged, seemingly rejecting Trump’s new proposal to “freeze the battle lines.”
Moscow has repeatedly refused long-term ceasefire proposals, arguing that they would give Ukraine time to rearm and regroup at a time when Russian forces are making gains on the battlefield.
“You see, simply stopping would mean forgetting the root causes of this conflict,” said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. These “root causes,” according to Moscow, refer to its sweeping demands that would undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty — including full control over the Donbas region, restrictions on Kyiv’s armed forces, and influence over its internal affairs.
