U.S. President Donald Trump has sharply criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for recent remarks on Crimea, accusing him of endangering ongoing peace efforts and prolonging the war with Russia.
In a post published on Wednesday on his Truth Social account, Trump called Zelensky’s refusal to recognize Russia’s annexation of Crimea “inflammatory” and urged immediate action to secure a peace agreement.
The controversy stems from a Wall Street Journal interview in which Zelensky reiterated that Ukraine “will not legally recognize the occupation of Crimea.”
“There’s nothing to talk about here. This is against our constitution,” the Ukrainian president added.
Trump responded forcefully, stating that the matter “is not even a point of discussion,” claiming that Crimea was “lost years ago under the auspices of President Barack Hussein Obama.”
“Nobody is asking Zelensky to recognize Crimea as Russian territory,” Trump wrote. “But if he wants Crimea, why didn’t they fight for it 11 years ago when it was handed over to Russia without a shot being fired?”
President Trump accused Zelensky of making statements that could “do nothing but prolong the ‘killing field,'” and warned that Ukraine could “lose the whole country” within three years if it continues down the current path. He also emphasized the heavy toll of the war, stating that thousands of Russian and Ukrainian soldiers are dying each week “for no reason whatsoever.”
“The situation for Ukraine is dire — He can have Peace or he can fight for another three years,” Trump added, insisting that a peace deal is within reach and imploring Zelensky to stop resisting. “We are very close to a Deal, but the man with ‘no cards to play’ should now, finally, GET IT DONE,” Trump wrote.
The statement has already ignited fierce debate in both Washington and Kyiv. Critics say Trump’s remarks risk legitimizing Russia’s annexation of Ukrainian territory and undermining U.S. support for Ukraine. Supporters, however, view it as a realistic push toward ending a long and bloody war.
While the White House has yet to elaborate on Trump’s comments, they mark a significant shift in tone from the Biden administration’s previous firm backing of Ukraine’s territorial claims, including Crimea.
Zelensky’s perceived intransigence reportedly resulted in the last-minute cancellation of peace talks in London with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff.
Kyiv is digging its heels in against a framework presented to its officials last week in Paris, with Ukraine believing the prospective deal rewards Russia for its aggression, leading to exasperation from the Trump administration.
On Wednesday, U.S. Vice President JD Vance told reporters during a trip to India that the U.S. is prepared to abandon peace talks should Ukraine not budge.
“We’ve issued a very explicit proposal to both the Russians and Ukrainians, and it’s time for them to either say yes or for the U.S. to walk away from this process. We’ve engaged in an extraordinary amount of diplomacy, of on-the-ground work,” he said.
“The Ukrainians and the Russians are both going to have to give up some of the territory they currently own. There’s gonna have to be some territorial swaps,” he added.
