U.S. President Donald Trump insisted Sunday that Ukraine and Russia are “closer than ever before” to a peace deal after hosting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his Florida resort, but a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine says there is still no concrete sign Moscow is negotiating in good faith. “We have seen zero indication … that (Russia) was interested in making peace,” John E. Herbst said in an interview with CTV News Channel on Sunday. Herbst said the Russian Federation has repeatedly rejected ceasefire proposals and continues to push conditions that heavily favour its side, even as Washington expresses optimism about progress. “The Russians have made clear they don’t want a cease fire,” he said, noting that while Trump has said he understands Moscow’s position, it has not accepted offers Ukraine has put forward. Trump spoke at a news conference after meeting Zelenskyy in Florida, saying he had an “excellent” phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He said he believes Putin remains serious about ending the war, even as Russia launched further attacks on Ukraine. “Russia wants to see Ukraine succeed,” Trump said, calling Zelenskyy “brave.” Zelenskyy, meanwhile, thanked the U.S. president for his diplomatic efforts and said Ukraine was prepared to pursue peace, though both leaders acknowledged major sticking points remain, including whether Russia can retain the Ukrainian territory it occupies. Herbst said Ukraine has demonstrated flexibility, noting Zelenskyy has suggested reciprocal troop withdrawals paired with international peacekeepers to prevent Russian forces from re-entering contested zones. “That is a not a bad faith proposal,” Herbst said. “But again, we’ve seen no indication of Moscow’s willingness to compromise.” Trump did acknowledge the talks could still collapse. “In a few weeks, we will know one way or the other, I think. … But it could also go poorly,” he said. Herbst said Putin has been careful to flatter Trump publicly while resisting substantive concessions. “It’s very clear that Putin speaks with great respect and even deference to Trump, not to annoy him,” he said, adding Zelenskyy has accepted multiple U.S.-backed ceasefire proposals since March, while Russia has agreed to none. “I agree that there’s progress in refining the positions of the United States and Ukraine so they could agree,” Herbst said. “But there’s another party that needs to agree.” With files from the Associated Press
