Shortly before his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, U.S. President Donald Trump had another message for his guest: “President Zelensky can end the war with Russia almost immediately if he wants to, or he can keep fighting.” However, peace comes at a price: Ukraine must give up both occupied Crimea and its NATO membership. On Monday, the U.S. head of state will meet with his Ukrainian counterpart, after having held a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska three days earlier.
Just hours before, Trump posted on his own platform, Truth Social. “Some things never change,” he wrote, making it clear that he believes it is Zelensky who should bring an end to the war that Russia started with its invasion of Ukraine. The attacked country, he argued, should give up Crimea, annexed under international law, and also permanently renounce NATO membership, which he emphasized in capital letters in his post.
Ukraine wants lasting peace The person addressed responded on X shortly after: he had already arrived in Washington and expressed gratitude for Trump’s invitation. Zelensky clarified: “We all share the strong desire to end this war quickly and reliably. And peace must last. Not like years ago, when Ukraine was forced to give up Crimea and part of our east, part of Donbass, and Putin simply used that as a springboard for a new attack.”
The Ukrainian leader stressed: “Russia must end this war that it started.” He expressed hope that with the support of the United States and “our European friends,” Russia could be forced to make peace. “Great day” and “honor” for Trump The much-anticipated bilateral meeting is scheduled for 1:15 p.m. local time (7:15 p.m. CEST), the White House announced. A multilateral meeting with European heads of state and government is also planned for 3:00 p.m. local time (9:00 p.m. CEST).
Trump described it as a “great day” in another Truth Social post. It is an “honor” to receive so many high-level European representatives. After his meeting with Putin, the U.S. president stepped away from his earlier call for an immediate ceasefire in the war in Ukraine. Instead, he spoke in favor of a comprehensive peace agreement.
In doing so, he aligned himself more closely with Putin’s position, causing great disappointment in Ukraine and among Kyiv’s Western supporters. Negotiations for a comprehensive peace deal would take much longer than a ceasefire, which in theory could be implemented relatively quickly.
Ukraine and its Western allies fear that Russia is merely buying time and seeking to gain further military advantages in Ukraine. Zelensky: “Crimea should never have been abandoned” He recalled that in 1994 Ukraine received security guarantees in exchange for Crimea and parts of Donbass, which were not respected. “Of course, Crimea should never have been abandoned back then, just as Ukrainians did not give up Kyiv, Odessa, or Kharkiv after 2022,” Zelensky said. Ukrainians, he affirmed, will continue fighting for their freedom and independence.
