Trump says Zelenskyy is prolonging war in Ukraine by resisting calls to
cede Crimea to Russia
[April 24, 2025]
By ILLIA NOVIKOV, AAMER MADHANI and JILL LAWLESS
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — President Donald Trump on Wednesday lashed out at
Ukraine's president, saying Volodymyr Zelenskyy is prolonging the
“killing field” after pushing back on ceding Crimea to Russia as part of
a potential peace plan.
Zelenskyy on Tuesday ruled out ceding territory to Russia in any deal
before talks set for Wednesday in London among U.S., European and
Ukrainian officials. “There is nothing to talk about. It is our land,
the land of the Ukrainian people,” Zelenskyy said.
During similar talks last week in Paris, U.S. officials presented a
proposal that included allowing Russia to keep control of occupied
Ukrainian territory as part of a deal, according to a European official
familiar with the matter who was not authorized to comment publicly and
spoke on condition of anonymity.
Trump called Zelenkyy's pushback “very harmful” to talks.
“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?” he wrote
on social media.
Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 after sending troops to overrun it. Weeks
later, Moscow-backed separatists launched an uprising in eastern
Ukraine, battling Kyiv’s forces.
Trump also asserted they were close to a deal and that Ukraine's leader
can have peace or "he can fight for another three years before losing
the whole Country," adding that Zelenskyy's statement “will do nothing
but prolong the ‘killing field,’ and nobody wants that!"
‘A very fair proposal’
Wednesday's meeting was pared back at the last minute, while Vice
President JD Vance said negotiations are reaching a moment of truth.
“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 a
visit to India.
He said it was “a very fair proposal” that would “freeze the territorial
lines at some level close to where they are today,” with both sides
having to give up some territory they currently hold. He did not provide
details.
Trump, who is set to travel to Rome for Pope Francis's funeral on
Saturday, told reporters later on Wednesday that he did not know if he
would meet with Zelenskyy or other European leaders to discuss the war
while in Italy. He also said that has found dealing with Zelenskyy
harder than dealing with the Russians.
Trump who is set to travel to the Middle East next month said it was
“possible” that he could meet with Putin while in Saudi Arabia, but that
it is more likely he will meet with the Russian leader soon after that
trip.
A senior European official familiar with the ongoing talks involving the
American team said a proposal the United States calls “final” was
initially presented last week in Paris, where it was described as “just
ideas” — and that they could be changed.
When those “ideas” surfaced in media reports, Ukrainian officials were
surprised to find that Washington portrayed them as final, according to
the official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on
condition of anonymity.
Zelenskyy said Wednesday that Ukraine is ready for any format of
negotiations that might bring a ceasefire and open the door to full
peace negotiations, as he mourned nine civilians killed when a Russian
drone struck a bus earlier in the day.
“We insist on an immediate, complete and unconditional ceasefire,”
Zelenskyy wrote on social media, in accordance with a proposal he said
the U.S. tabled six weeks ago.
Ukraine and some Western European governments have accused Russian
President Vladimir Putin of dragging his feet on that proposal as his
army tries to capture more Ukrainian land. Western analysts say Moscow
is in no rush to conclude peace talks because it has battlefield
momentum.
Doubts over negotiations
U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the talks in London to find an
end to the more than three-year war would involve only lower-ranking
officials, after the U.S. State Department said Tuesday that Secretary
of State Marco Rubio was unable to attend because of a scheduling issue.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during a press
conference in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy
Maloletka)
Rubio's abrupt cancellation raised doubts about the direction of
negotiations. He had indicated that Wednesday’s meeting could be
decisive in determining whether the Trump administration remains
engaged.
Commenting on those attending the talks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry
Peskov said that “as far as we understand, they so far have failed
to bring their positions closer on some issues.” He said the Kremlin
was still in consultations with American officials but wouldn’t
publicly discuss details.
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to visit Moscow again
later this week, according to Russian officials.
Even achieving a limited, 30-day ceasefire has been beyond the reach
of negotiators, as both sides continue to attack each other along
the 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line and launch long-range
strikes.
A Russian drone struck a bus carrying workers in Marganets, in
eastern Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region on Wednesday morning,
killing eight women and one man, regional head Serhii Lysak wrote on
social media. More than 40 people were injured, he said.
Lysak published photos of a bus with windows blown out and shards of
glass mixed with blood spattered on its floor.
A Ukrainian delegation in London
Trump has pushed for an end to the war and said last week that
negotiations were “coming to a head.” That comment came after Rubio
suggested the U.S. might soon back away from negotiations if they
don’t progress.
Those still attending Wednesday's meeting include retired Lt. Gen.
Keith Kellogg, Trump’s envoy for Ukraine and Russia.
Andrii Yermak, the head of Ukraine’s presidential office, said on
social media that a delegation including him, Foreign Minister
Andrii Sybiha and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov had arrived in
London for the talks despite the alterations.
“The path to peace is not easy, but Ukraine has been and remains
committed to peaceful efforts,” Yermak said. Officials would
“discuss ways to achieve a full and unconditional ceasefire as the
first step toward a comprehensive settlement and the achievement of
a just and lasting peace."
Several hours later, Yermak said that he, Sybiha and Umerov met with
national security and foreign policy advisors from the countries
“participating in the coalition of the willing” and “emphasized our
commitment” to the U.S. president's peace efforts.
He asserted on social media that “Russia continues to reject an
unconditional ceasefire, dragging out the process and trying to
manipulate negotiations.”
Trump frustrated with both sides
Trump said repeatedly during his election campaign last year that he
would be able to end the war “in 24 hours” upon taking office. But
he has expressed frustration with Zelenskyy and Putin. Russia has
effectively rejected a U.S. proposal for an immediate and full
30-day halt in the fighting by imposing far-reaching conditions.
Some European allies are wary of the American proposal for Ukraine
to exchange land for peace. But an official said there’s also
acknowledgment by some allies that Russia is firmly entrenched
wholly or partially in five regions of Ukraine: Crimea, Luhansk,
Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.
If the goal is to obtain a ceasefire immediately, “it should be
based on the line of contact as it is,” said the senior French
official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with French
presidential policy.
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Novikov reported from Kyiv and Madhani from Washington. Hanna
Arhirova in Kyiv, Ukraine and Angela Charlton in Paris contributed.
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