Zelensky assures Trump that he wants peace and announces that a Ukrainian team is heading to the US for new talks. When do they hope the documents will be signed

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday that Ukraine is not an obstacle to peace, rejecting comments made a day earlier by US President Donald Trump. On Friday, the leader from Kiev announced that a Ukrainian delegation is heading to the US for discussions on security guarantees and a post-war recovery package, expressing his hope that the documents can be signed on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos next week, Reuters and News.ro agencies report.

During the talks, the Kiev team also hopes to get clarification from Washington on Russia's position on US-backed diplomatic efforts to end the war, Volodymyr Zelenskiy said at a press conference in Kiev held alongside Czech President Petr Pavel.

US President Donald Trump told Reuters earlier this week that he might meet with Zelensky at the Davos Economic Forum, a meeting the Ukrainian leader has publicly requested.

Zelenskiy said that Ukraine has completed its part of the documents presenting a “prosperity package” to unlock funds needed for Ukraine's expensive post-war reconstruction, as well as US security guarantees aimed at stopping a future Russian attack. Ukrainian officials have declared that the country will need 800 billion dollars for post-war reconstruction.

Trump, who has often criticized Zelenskiy, said on Wednesday that Russia is ready for a peace deal and that he considers the Ukrainian leader an obstacle to peace, an assessment that contrasts sharply with that of European allies. Washington has pressed Ukraine to accept a peace deal that it will then present to Moscow, while Kiev and its European allies have sought to ensure that Ukraine will not be attacked by Russia in the future.

On Friday, Zelensky said Russia was blocking peace efforts and cited Moscow's recent attacks on Ukraine's energy system as evidence of Moscow's real intentions.

“Each of these attacks against our energy sector and our cities shows quite clearly Russia's real interests and intentions: they are not interested in deals, but in the further destruction of Ukraine,” he posted on social media after the press conference.

On Thursday, in his video address to the nation, Zelensky assured that Ukraine wants peace. “We also discussed diplomatic collaboration with America – Ukraine was not and will never be an obstacle to peace,” Zelenski pointed out, referring to a telephone conversation he had with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

Interviewed by Reuters on Wednesday, Trump said that, in his opinion, Ukraine is less ready than Russia to conclude a peace agreement. Asked why US-led negotiations have yet to resolve the nearly four-year-old war, Trump replied: “Zelenski.”

“The Russian missiles are clear evidence that Russia is not at all interested in agreements”

In his comments Thursday night, Zelensky repeated that Russia's continued attacks on Ukrainian energy and other targets demonstrate that Moscow does not want peace. “Precisely Russian missiles, Russian Shaheds (drones) and Russia's attempt to destroy Ukraine are clear evidence that Russia is not at all interested in agreements,” he said.

In Moscow on Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia agrees with Trump that Zelenskiy is blocking a peace deal, saying that President Vladimir Putin and the Russian side remain open to negotiations.

Trump and Zelenskiy have had an up-and-down relationship in efforts to resolve Europe's biggest territorial dispute since World War II.

Trump and US Vice President JD Vance engaged in a spat with Zelenskiy in the Oval Office in February 2025, suggesting the Ukrainian leader was showing no gratitude for US assistance.

The interactions between them seemed to improve in subsequent meetings.