US President Donald Trump says ‘Crimea will stay with Russia,’ and Zelenskyy ‘understands that’ | World News

US President Donald Trump has said that Crimea “will stay with Russia” as part of peace negotiations with Ukraine. In an interview with the Time magazine, Trump said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “understands that,” and, “everybody understands that it’s been with them (Russia) for a long time.”
The comments come amid growing pressure from the Trump adminration for Kyiv to make concessions to end the war, while Russian forces intensify their assaults, including a drone strike on Friday that killed three people, among them a child and a 76-year-old woman.
Trump has accused Zelenskyy of prolonging the conflict resing peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and claimed that Crimea, seized Russia in 2014 during Barack Obama’s presidency, was not “given Trump.”
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“They’ve had their submarines there for long before any period that we’re talking about… The people speak largely Russian in Crimea,” he added.

However, even as Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff was set to meet Putin in Moscow for their fourth meeting since February, Russia pounded Kyiv on Thursday in its deadliest attack on the capital since July, killing at least 12 and injuring 87 others.
Trump condemned the strikes, writing on Truth Social, “I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying. Let’s get the Peace Deal DONE!”
Earlier, on Wednesday, the US President criticised  Zelenskyy for refusing to surrender the Russia-occupied Crimea peninsula as part of a possible deal, warning that such “inflammatory” remarks could derail efforts to end the war and prolong the “killing field” .Story continues below this ad
“This statement is very harmful to the peace negotiations with Russia,” Trump posted on Truth Social, adding that Crimea was “lost years ago and is not even a point of discussion.”
Despite that, Ukrainian officials remain firm — Zelenskyy has repeatedly insed that recognising Crimea as part of Russia is a red line.
“Ukraine agreed to a US ceasefire proposal 44 days ago,” Zelenskyy said Thursday. “But Russia kept attacking.”
Meanwhile, Trump and Zelenskyy are expected in Rome on Friday for the funeral of Pope Francis, but no bilateral meeting has been confirmed.
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