Peace deal at risk? Trump says Zelenskyy has ‘no cards to play’, claims deal with Russia is close | World News
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday criticised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for rejecting any recognition of Russia’s occupation of Crimea, warning that such “inflammatory” remarks could derail efforts to end the war.
“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.”
Zelenskyy had reiterated on Tuesday that Ukraine would never recognise the Russian annexation of Crimea, saying: “There’s nothing to talk about here. This is against our constitution.”
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In response, Trump said: “Nobody is asking Zelenskyy to recognize 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?”
Claiming that the two sides were “very close to a deal,” Trump blamed the Ukrainian leader for jeopardising peace efforts, accusing him of having “nothing to boast about” and “no cards to play.” He said his goal was to stop the killing, not to fuel tensions.
The remarks echo the combative tone Trump displayed during their Oval Office exchange in March and come amid a broader US push to end the war, which began when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 after annexing Crimea in 2014.
Earlier, in the day, US Vice President JD Vance warned that Washington could walk away from ceasefire efforts in Ukraine unless Moscow and Kyiv agree to a deal.Story continues below this ad
“We’ve issued a very explicit proposal to both the Russians and the Ukrainians, and it’s time for them to either say yes, or for the United States to walk away from this process,” Vance told reporters during his visit to India.
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