Trump And Zelensky Clash Again As US Says Crimea Now Russian Territory

Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had another unpleasant exchange on Wednesday as negotiators weighed possibilities that could result in ending the years-long war in Ukraine.

This time the Trump-Zelensky clash was over Crimea, with the US President convinced that the region should be considered as Russian territory, while Zelensky refused to agree with him, reiterating that Ukraine will stand firm on its core principles.

As negotiators met for the latest round of talks in London, reports suggest that the US proposal that was laid out had two key points in agreement with Moscow's stand - the first being Kyiv officially recognising Crimea as Russian territory, and the second - that Ukraine can never become a NATO member.

Both these points were rejected by Ukraine, which infuriated President Trump, who had already threatened to withdraw the US from negotiations over Kyiv's obstinacy.

TRUMP SCOLDS ZELENSKY

Donald Trump chided the Ukrainian President for not agreeing with him about Crimea now being a part of Russia. "Crimea was lost years ago and is not even a point of discussion," President Trump asserted.

President Zelensky, who firmly rejected such a proposal, said "Ukraine will not recognise Russia's annexation of Crimea. There's nothing to talk about here. This is against our constitution."

The exchange led to President Trump scolding President Zelensky, saying that the United States is trying to stop the killing in his country. "We are very close to a deal" for peace, Trump said, putting the blame on the Ukrainian President for being stubborn, as talks seem to be heading for a stalemate.

President Trump took to social media to post a scathing attack on Ukraine's Zelensky. "Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is boasting on the front page of The Wall Street Journal that, 'Ukraine will not legally recognize the occupation of Crimea. There's nothing to talk about here.' This statement is very harmful to the Peace Negotiations with Russia in that Crimea was lost years ago under the auspices of President Barack Hussein Obama, and is not even a point of discussion," he wrote on Truth Social.

"Nobody is asking Zelenskiy to recognise 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?" he added.

Russia seized control of the Crimean peninsula in 2014 without any significant resistance from Ukraine at the time. The move was condemned by several nations, with only a handful of countries recognising Russia's claim to Crimea.

JD VANCE'S ULTIMATUM

Meanwhile, echoing Donald Trump's sentiment, US Vice President JD Vance said it was time for Russia and Ukraine to either agree to the US peace proposal "or for the United States to walk away from the process entirely."

Mr Vance said that America's proposal called for freezing territorial lines "at some level close to where they are today" and a "long-term diplomatic settlement that hopefully will lead to long-term peace." He went on to say that "The only way to really stop the killing is for the armies to both put down their weapons, and to freeze this thing."

In response to the US Vice President, Zelenskiy's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, wrote in a post on X that he made it clear to US negotiator Steve Witkoff in London that Ukraine "will stand firm on its core principles during the negotiations" that relate to sovereignty and territorial integrity.

ADVANTAGE MOSCOW?

Since taking office in January, Donald Trump has sharply altered the US approach to the Ukraine war. Instead of punishing moves against Russia like his predecessor Joe Biden, Washington is now pressing Ukraine to agree to a ceasefire, even if it is unacceptable to Kyiv. The US is seemingly in a hurry to broker a deal - any deal - irrespective of whether it may be a good one for Russia or a good one for Ukraine.

President Trump, who had pledged to "end the Russia-Ukraine war in days", wants to be seen as a power broker for peace globally. Meanwhile, ever since Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin's phone call and Washington's foreign policy tilt towards Moscow, European nations have scrambled to find ways to support Kyiv, which finds itself staring at an increasingly uncertain future.