Monday 18 / August / 2025
Washington: A day before meeting his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy, US President Donald Trump on Sunday (local time) claimed that the Ukrainian leader could "end the war with Russia almost immediately if he wants to."
Trump also reminded of the 2014 annexation of Crimea under the Obama administration and ruled out Ukraine's entry into NATO.
"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!!!," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Zelenskyy, who has arrived in Washington for talks with Trump, pushed back strongly against the temporary, short-term peace deal, stressing that the "peace must be lasting". He referred to past incidents, such as when Ukraine was forced to give up Crimea.
"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," Zelenskyy wrote in an X (formerly Twitter) post announcing his arrival in Washington.
He further asserted that Ukraine would not cede any more territory. "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. 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," he added.
The Trump-Zelenskyy meeting comes just three days after Trump's high-stakes talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, which the US leader described as a success.
After the 3-hour-long meeting, the US President wrote on Truth Social, "A great and very successful day in Alaska! The meeting with President Vladimir Putin of Russia went very well, as did a late night phone call with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine, and various European Leaders, including the highly respected Secretary General of NATO. It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up."
Meanwhile, US Secretary Marco Rubio, in an interview with NBC News Meet the Press, said the President personally called Zelenskyy and several European leaders from his plane while returning from Alaska.
"President called them from the airplane, spent two hours in the middle of the night talking to them. And that's why we've been engaged with them every step of the way, is we are trying to find what can we get to that both sides can agree on, and it's been difficult. This is a hard issue set. But we're dedicating a lot of time to it," Rubio said.
On what Russia is demanding in peace settlement, Rubio noted that Moscow's conditions are far from acceptable. "He's certainly asking for things that the Ukrainians and others are not willing to be supportive of and that we're not going to push them to give, and the Ukrainians are asking for things that the Russians are not going to give up on," he said.
As per CNN, leaders from France, Germany, the UK, Italy, and Finland are expected to attend the meeting. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will also be part of the delegation.
The Élysee Palace said French President Emmanuel Macron will "continue the work of coordination between Europeans and the United States with the aim of achieving a just and lasting peace that preserves Ukraine's vital interests and the security of Europe," CNN reported.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's office said he will discuss the status of the peace efforts in Ukraine with the other attendees and highlight Germany's interest in a rapid peace agreement.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer praised Zelenskyy's "desire for a just and lasting peace" and said he would also travel to Washington for the meeting.
On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly agreed to allow US security guarantees for Ukraine and made concessions on "land swaps" as part of a potential peace deal during his summit with Trump, according to Trump's top envoy Steve Witkoff, as reported by CNN. Russia, however, has yet to mention such agreements, which appear to contradict Putin's past statements.
