Donald Trump has sharply criticised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for making “inflammatory” statements about Crimea, despite the United States continuing its efforts to broker peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv. This comes as the US has been trying for months to mediate a resolution to the war in Ukraine, which began when Russia invaded the country in February 2022. However, President Vladimir Putin has shown little interest in negotiating a peaceful settlement, even in the face of Trump’s proposals, which would offer terms favourable to Russia.
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The White House has reportedly suggested that Ukraine might need to recognise Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea to move the peace talks forward, but Zelenskyy rejected this idea outright. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, he stated, “There is nothing to talk about. This violates our Constitution. This is our territory, the territory of the people of Ukraine.” Trump’s reaction was swift, and in a lengthy post on his Truth Social platform, he accused Zelenskyy of “boasting” about Ukraine’s refusal to recognise Crimea as part of Russia.
Trump continued by suggesting that Zelenskyy’s stance could undermine peace negotiations, calling the remarks “harmful” to efforts to end the war. He remarked that Crimea had been “lost years ago” during President Barack Obama’s tenure and that the Ukrainian leader should not be boasting about the loss of the region. Furthermore, Trump warned that the situation for Ukraine was worsening and that Zelenskyy’s approach would only prolong the conflict. He offered a blunt choice: Ukraine could seek peace now, or continue fighting and risk losing the entire country.
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Amid these tensions, Trump’s administration has grown increasingly frustrated with the slow progress of the peace talks. Despite promises made before his re-election to resolve the conflict within 24 hours, Trump and his team have threatened to withdraw from the process unless there is significant movement. Adding to the confusion, Trump’s Secretary of State Marco Rubio surprised Western allies by announcing at the last minute that he would not attend scheduled peace talks in London, citing scheduling issues. The discussions were ultimately downgraded from high-level ministerial talks to a meeting of officials.
