Trump slams Zelensky over Crimea, says peace deal at risk
3 Min Read
US President Trump warned that Zelensky's stance would only "prolong the 'killing field,'" and claimed that an agreement was within reach.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during a press conference in Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, April 4, 2025 (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
In a post shared on his Truth Social platform, US President Donald Trump sharply criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for comments made in a recent Wall Street Journal interview, where Zelensky reaffirmed that Ukraine would not legally recognize Russia's occupation of Crimea.
Trump claimed that such a position is a major impediment to achieving a peace deal with Moscow. "Crimea was lost years ago under the auspices of President Barack Hussein Obama, and is not even a point of discussion," he wrote, suggesting that Kiev's refusal to accept Russia's control over Crimea ignored political realities and risks prolonging the conflict.
"Nobody is asking Zelenskyy to recognize Crimea as Russian Territory," Trump added, "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?"
He warned that Zelensky's stance would only "prolong the 'killing field,'" and claimed that an agreement was within reach. "The man with 'no cards to play' should now, finally, GET IT DONE," Trump concluded.
Crimea deal
These remarks come as The Washington Post reported that Trump's team is drafting a peace proposal that would recognize Crimea as part of the Russian Federation and freeze the current front lines of the war.
The plan, expected to be discussed in upcoming meetings in London, would also offer phased sanctions relief to Moscow in exchange for a halt in hostilities, marking a dramatic shift from over a decade of US foreign policy.
The proposed framework, building on talks held recently in Paris, would ask Ukraine to forgo NATO membership and accept limited security guarantees, while formally abandoning claims to both Crimea and parts of the Donbas.
Ukrainian officials have already rejected this approach, pointing to constitutional barriers and a national consensus that prioritizes restoring sovereignty over all internationally recognized territories.
Read more: Trump expected to reveal Ukraine peace plan, including ceasefire
From Moscow's standpoint, Crimea's status is non-negotiable. Russian officials cite the 2014 referendum, widely condemned in the West, as justification for annexation, portraying it as an expression of self-determination.
The Kremlin maintains that the peninsula's integration into Russia corrected historical injustices and ensured stability after the Western-backed political shift in Kiev.
