President Donald Trump, appearing on the red carpet at the Kennedy Center Honors on Sunday night, made it clear he expected a bit more urgency from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy — specifically, the small task of actually reading Washington’s latest proposed peace plan for the Russia-Ukraine war. Apparently, reading the document is still pending on Zelenskyy’s to-do list.
Trump said Zelenskyy’s top Ukrainian officials “love it,” and even “Russia is fine with it,” but Zelenskyy himself hadn’t reviewed it as of a few hours before the event.
“We’ve been speaking to President Putin, and we’ve been speaking to Ukrainian leaders, including President Zelenskyy,” Trump said, adding he was “a little bit disappointed” the Ukrainian leader hadn’t yet read the draft.
“His people love it, but he has it. Russia’s fine with it,” Trump said. “I’m not sure that Zelenskyy is fine with it. His people love it. But he hasn’t read it, so someday you’ll explain that one to me.”
A fair question — and one Zelenskyy may eventually answer, once he gets around to cracking open the document.
Between questions on culture, diplomacy, and the night’s honorees, Trump highlighted the Kennedy Center’s renovation, proudly noting his administration “saved” it and helped raise more than $100 million for its restoration. He emphasized the venue’s acoustics and architecture, promising that ongoing improvements would make it “better than it was from day one.” Leave it to Trump to talk policy, national security, and building design all in a single press line.
On domestic policy, he defended his tariff authority ahead of a coming Supreme Court ruling, calling the system essential for national security flexibility.
He also described the Russia-Ukraine conflict as “very tough, very nasty,” noting the high monthly casualties — another reason the peace proposal matters.
Trump praised honorees including Sylvester Stallone and the rock band Kiss, and joked about keeping the tone more Johnny Carson–style: “You have to be yourself.” He also pointed to the “bigger than it’s ever been” red-carpet line, crediting renewed national optimism: “We have a country that’s the talk of the world again.”
Zelenskyy said Saturday he had a “substantive phone call” with American officials in Florida working on the talks. He said Ukraine remains committed to working “in good faith” with the U.S. to achieve peace — which, again, might go smoother once the actual proposal gets a read-through.
Russia, for its part, welcomed the administration’s new national security strategy. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russia’s TASS agency it aligns closely with Moscow’s vision and contains statements “against confrontation and in favor of dialogue.” He said Russia hopes this leads to “further constructive cooperation” with Washington on resolving the conflict.
The White House strategic document said improving relations with Russia and ending the war are core U.S. interests to reestablish “strategic stability.”
Outgoing Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg said efforts to end the war are in “the last 10 meters,” with negotiations hinging on issues involving the Donbas region and the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant — both currently controlled by Russia.
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy is set to meet the leaders of the U.K., France, and Germany in London on Monday. As talks wrapped up, Russia continued overnight missile, drone, and shelling attacks that killed at least four people in Ukraine, including strikes in Chernihiv, Kremenchuk, and the Kharkiv region.
Amid a brutal winter, Ukrainian officials say Russia is trying to cripple energy infrastructure and deny civilians access to heat, light, and water for the fourth winter in a row.
Even with the violence ongoing, the administration’s peace draft is now in Zelenskyy’s hands — all that’s left is for him to actually read it. And when he does, who knows? Maybe the “last 10 meters” will finally turn into the finish line.
