Trump Slams Zelenskyy As Ukraine Refuses To Recognise Russian Control Of Crimea: 'He Can Have Peace Or...'
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday slammed Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after he said Kyiv wouldn't recognise Russian control of Crimea, calling his "inflammatory" remarks "very harmful to the Peace Negotiations with Russia."
"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," Trump stated on Truth Social.
Zelenskyy on Tuesday had reiterated that Ukraine would never recognise the Russian annexation of Crimea, saying: "There’s nothing to talk about here. This is against our constitution."
Reacting to this, Trump said: "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?"
Trump Says Zelenskyy's Statements Prolonging 'Killing Field'
In a post on Truth Social, Trump also claimed that a deal to end the Russia-Ukraine war was "very close," but that Zelensky's refusal to accept the terms set by US "will do nothing but prolong" the conflict.
"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," Trump said.
Earlier, US Vice President JD Vance put forth a vision for a deal, saying that it would "freeze the territorial lines...close to where they are today," BBC reported.
Vance also said the deal would mean Ukraine and Russia "are both going to have to give up some of the territory they currently own". He also warned that US could walk away from ceasefire efforts in Ukraine unless Moscow and Kyiv agree to a deal.
On whether US was looking forward to recognising the sovereignty over Crimea, Trump asserted he had "no favourites" and just wanted the war to end. "I have no favourites. I don't want to have any favourites. I want to have a deal done," he said.
At least one person was killed and nearly 50 injured after Russian missiles struck Ukraine’s capital city Kyiv and the country’s second largest city Kharkiv hours after Trump’s post, CNN reported citing Ukrainian authorities.
Trump's comments against Zelenskyy came after a meeting in London, which was aimed at bringing an end to the war in Ukraine, was notably downscaled after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he wouldn't attend.
Rubio had initially been slated to join discussions with officials from Ukraine, the UK, and the European Union. However, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce announced Tuesday that he would no longer be attending, citing “logistical issues.”
A US official and two European diplomats told CNN that the Trump administration believed the talks hadn't reached a pivotal stage, and Rubio himself reportedly questioned whether his attendance would be a productive use of time.
According to European diplomats familiar with the situation, the top US diplomat opted out of the meeting because the administration believed the negotiations hadn’t reached a decisive point in the ongoing talks and that Rubio didn’t feel attending would be the best use of his time.
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