President Trump claimed Sunday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky could bring the nation’s war with Russia to a halt “almost immediately,” if he’s willing to make two major concessions.
Trump called for Ukraine to drop its bid to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), a demand long held by Russia, and also said there would be “no getting back” Crimea – signaling to the nation to accept Russia’s illegal 2014 annexation of the region during the Obama administration.
“President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight. Remember how it started. No getting back Obama given Crimea (12 years ago, without a shot being fired!), and NO GOING INTO NATO BY UKRAINE. Some things never change!!!” the commander in chief proclaimed in a late-night Truth Social post.
Trump’s message comes just one day before a high-profile summit at the White House on Monday, where he is expected to meet with Zelensky and several European leaders to discuss next steps in the three-and-a-half-year conflict.
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Ahead of the planned meeting, Zelensky posted to X to thank the United States for its support, but also signaled that peace must not be short-lived.
“I have already arrived in Washington, tomorrow I am meeting with President Trump. Tomorrow we are also speaking with European leaders. I am grateful to @POTUS for the invitation. We all share a strong desire to end this war quickly and reliably,” Zelensky wrote Sunday night.
The Ukrainian leader also spoke out on Crimea, alleging its relinquishment to Russia paved the way for Putin’s future invasion of Ukraine.
“And peace must be lasting. Not like it was years ago, when Ukraine was forced to give up Crimea and part of our East—part of Donbas—and Putin simply used it as a springboard for a new attack. Or when Ukraine was given so called ‘security guarantees’ in 1994, but they didn’t work,” he tweeted.
“Crimea should not have been given up then, just as Ukrainians did not give up Kyiv, Odesa, or Kharkiv after 2022. Ukrainians are fighting for their land, for their independence,” he wrote.
“Now, our soldiers have successes in Donetsk and Sumy regions. I am confident that we will defend Ukraine, effectively guarantee security, and that our people will always be grateful to President Trump, everyone in America, and every partner and ally for their support and invaluable assistance. Russia must end this war, which it itself started,” Zelensky said.
Trump’s rambling social posts follow remarks from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said any lasting peace deal would require both Russia and Ukraine to make hard compromises.
“What it’s going to take to stop the fighting, if we’re being honest and serious here, is both sides are going to have to give, and both sides should expect to get something from this,” Rubio told CBS News’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday.
“It’s very difficult because Ukraine obviously feels, you know, harmed, and rightfully so, because they were invaded,” he added. “And the Russian side, because they feel like they got momentum in the battlefield.”
Rubio didn’t delve into specifics about the territorial concessions Ukraine will have to make, which is expected to be the topic of discussion between Zelensky and Trump during their White House meeting on Monday.
On Sunday, Trump reposted a user’s remark on Truth Social that Ukraine will have to make territorial concessions to Russia in order to end the war.
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