United States President Donald Trump has increased pressure on Ukraine to agree to an end to Russia’s war. |
| United States President Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy |
He claimed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy could choose to resolve the conflict almost immediately.
Speaking to Zelenskyy a day before his important visit to the White House on Monday, Trump warned that any deal would exclude the return of Russian-occupied Crimea and Ukraine’s NATO membership.
President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately if he wants to, or he can continue to fight, Trump said on his Truth Social platform on Sunday.
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 made these comments as European leaders were preparing to join Zelenskyy during his visit to Washington, DC, amid worries in Brussels and Kyiv that the US president might sign off on an agreement that favors Russian President Vladimir Putin too much.
Shortly after Trump’s remarks on Sunday, Zelenskyy stated that earlier concessions to Moscow, especially regarding Crimea, had only encouraged Putin to pursue further aggression.
We all share a strong desire to end this war quickly and reliably. And peace must be lasting, Zelenskyy said in a post on X.
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 emphasized that 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, he added.
While Trump suggested that a deal with Moscow might involve some swapping, changes in land” between Russia and Ukraine, Zelenskyy has consistently rejected handing over any Ukrainian territory to the occupier.
To encourage Trump to continue support for Ukraine, European leaders, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and French President Emmanuel Macron, are participating in talks at the White House on Monday.
Macron stated on Sunday that European leaders and Zelenskyy would aim to present a united front against Russian aggression.
If we show weakness today in front of Russia, we are laying the ground for future conflicts, Macron said.
Despite Trump dismissing the possibility of Ukraine joining NATO, US special envoy Steve Witkoff mentioned earlier on Sunday that Putin agreed to support a security guarantee similar to NATO’s collective defense mandate during a meeting with Trump in Alaska on Friday.
We were able to win the following concession: that the United States could offer Article 5-like protection, which is one of the real reasons why Ukraine wants to be in NATO, Witkoff told CNN’s State of the Union.
Under Article 5, an armed attack against a NATO member is regarded as an attack against all members of the alliance.
Still, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio attempted to manage expectations on Sunday, saying an agreement to end the war is a long ways off. We’re not at the precipice of a peace agreement, Rubio told ABC News’s This Week.
We made progress in the sense that we identified potential areas of agreement, but there are still significant disagreements.
More About Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Volodymyr Zelenskyy is the sixth and current president of Ukraine, serving since 2019. Born on January 25, 1978, in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, he initially focused on comedy and entertainment before entering politics.
Early Life and Career
- Zelenskyy earned a law degree from the Kryvyi Rih Institute of Economics but co-founded the production company Kvartal 95 instead of practicing law. He produced films, cartoons, and TV shows.
- He became popular for his role as the President of Ukraine in the TV series "Servant of the People," which reflected his later real-life political career.
Presidency
- Zelenskyy won the 2019 Ukrainian presidential election with 73.23% of the vote in the second round, defeating incumbent President Petro Poroshenko.
- As president, he has promoted e-government and unity between Ukrainian- and Russian-speaking populations.
- His administration has faced significant challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, economic recession, and ongoing conflict with Russia, which escalated into a full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Response to Russian Invasion
- Zelenskyy has received widespread praise for his leadership during the war, maintaining a strong presence in Kyiv while rallying international support for Ukraine.
- He has worked closely with international leaders, including Emmanuel Macron, Keir Starmer, and Ursula von der Leyen, to coordinate support and discuss peace negotiations.
- Recently, he met with European leaders and U.S. President Joe Biden's successor to discuss ongoing support and potential peace talks.
Personal Life
- Zelenskyy is married to Olena Zelenska, and they have two children, Oleksandra and Kyrylo.
- He is fluent in Ukrainian, Russian, and English, and his net worth was estimated to be around $1.5 million in 2018.
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