Washington/Kyiv โ U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky traded sharp public criticisms on Wednesday over the terms of a proposed U.S.-brokered peace plan, with the future of Crimea emerging as a central point of dispute. The exchange revealed deep divisions between Washingtonโs political leadership and Kyiv as they navigate a potential path to ending the war.
From Kyiv, Zelensky reiterated that Ukraine would never recognize Russiaโs annexation of Crimea. โThereโs nothing to talk about; this is our land, the land of the Ukrainian people,โ he declared during trilateral talks in London involving U.S., European, and Ukrainian representatives.
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Zelensky later posted a message on Telegram reminding the world of the official U.S. stance during Trumpโs first term, citing a 2018 declaration by then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo rejecting Russian claims over Crimea.
The Ukrainian leaderโs firm stance came in response to Trumpโs remarks on his social media platform, Truth Social, where the president described Zelenskyโs statements as โvery damagingโ and โincendiary.โ Trump wrote, โCrimea was lost years ago under Barack Obama. Itโs not even a point of discussion.โ He went further, suggesting that Ukraineโs resistance could prolong the war: โHe has nothing to brag about! Ukraineโs situation is desperate: he can achieve peace or he can fight for another three years before losing the entire country.โ
Trump maintained that an agreement was โvery closeโ and expressed hope to help โUkraine and Russia emerge from this complete and total disaster.โ
Yermak: Ukraine Will Not Compromise on Sovereignty
Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian presidential office, reaffirmed Kyivโs position after meeting with Trumpโs envoy, retired General Keith Kellogg. โUkraine will remain steadfast in all circumstances to its basic principles, as these are the foundation of our sovereignty and territorial integrity,โ Yermak stated.
He added that Ukraine is ready for โan immediate, comprehensive, and unconditional ceasefireโ as a precursor to formal negotiations, expressing hope that this would align with Trumpโs vision for ending the conflict.
Leaked Details of Trumpโs Peace Proposal Raise Alarm in Kyiv
According to reports by Axios and The Wall Street Journal, Trumpโs peace plan could include official U.S. recognition of Crimea as Russian territory and de facto acceptance of Russiaโs control over much of the territory seized since the 2022 invasion. Other elements reportedly include a demand that Ukraine abandon its bid to join NATO and cede control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant to international authorities under U.S. oversight.
The proposed concessions have sparked alarm in Kyiv, where any recognition of Russian sovereignty over Ukrainian land is widely seen as unacceptable.
JD Vance Issues Warning from India
U.S. Vice President JD Vance, speaking from India on Wednesday, confirmed that the administrationโs peace proposal is โvery explicitโ and issued a stark warning: โThe time has come for both sides to accept it, or the United States will withdraw from the process.โ
With diplomatic tensions rising and battlefield conditions still fluid, the debate over how far Ukraine should go in pursuit of peaceโand how far the U.S. is willing to back Kyivโcontinues to test the resilience of the Western alliance.
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