President Donald Trump on Wednesday slammed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after he rejected a US proposal that would recognize Russian control of Crimea as part of a peace deal.
This comes as Washington continues its efforts to hammer out a peace agreement between Moscow and Kyiv. During a press conference, Zelensky said, “Ukraine will not legally recognize the occupation of Crimea” and that “There’s nothing to talk about here. This is against our constitution.”
The Wall Street Journal noted that Zelensky’s statements could throw the Trump administration’s peace plans into disarray.
Zelensky’s dismissal upends Trump’s latest gambit to halt the war in Ukraine—now in its fourth year—and casts new uncertainty on the future of the relationship between Kyiv and Washington, which Trump has made conditional on a quick deal.
American officials had presented a series of ideas for ending the war, including the Crimea proposal, to Ukrainian officials last week and expected an answer on Wednesday at a summit in London, where Ukrainian, U.S. and European officials will gather.
Zelensky said Russia should agree to a cease-fire before further talks to demonstrate “serious steps, and not childishness.” He said that Ukrainian officials meeting with U.S. and European officials in London would have a mandate to discuss a partial or full cease-fire, which Ukraine agreed to last month but Moscow rejected.
In a post on Truth Social, President Trump went on a long tirade against Zelensky, arguing that Zelensky’s perspective “is very harmful to the Peace Negotiations with Russia in that Crimea was lost years ago under the auspices of President Barack Hussein Obama, and is not even a point of discussion.”
Trump continued, “Nobody is asking Zelenskyy to recognize Crimea as Russian Territory but, if he wants Crimea, why didn’t they fight for it eleven years ago when it was handed over to Russia without a shot being fired?”
The president said, “It’s inflammatory statements like Zelenskyy’s that makes it so difficult to settle this War. He has nothing to boast about! The situation for Ukraine is dire – He can have Peace or, he can fight for another three years before losing the whole Country.”
I have nothing to do with Russia, but have much to do with wanting to save, on average, five thousand Russian and Ukrainian soldiers a week, who are dying for no reason whatsoever. The statement made by Zelenskyy today will do nothing but prolong the “killing field,” and nobody wants that! We are very close to a Deal, but the man with “no cards to play” should now, finally, GET IT DONE. I look forward to being able to help Ukraine, and Russia, get out of this Complete and Total MESS, that would have never started if I were President!
Zelensky’s comments reveal deep divisions between Kyiv and Washington. The Ukrainian leader questioned the legitimacy of a cease-fire agreement that did not include reciprocal moves on Moscow’s part. He said the Kremlin should demonstrate “serious steps, and not childishness.”
Others have doubted Russian President Vladimir Putin’s sincerity when it comes to ending the war. Even though he announced a 30-hour ceasefire for Easter, “the Russians never fully stopped their attacks,” The Wall Street Journal reported.
Still, Zelensky’s sentiments appear to line up with his constituents. The Kyiv International Institute of Sociology found that 39 percent of Ukrainians would be willing to relinquish territory if it ends the war. This is an increase from eight percent in late 2022. However, 50 percent of respondents were opposed to such an idea.
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