US President Donald Trump has said Ukraine will not reclaim Crimea or join NATO, setting firm limits on peace negotiations with Russia as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Washington on Monday for talks.
Zelensky, joined by European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen and several European leaders, is seeking to secure stronger international backing in efforts to end the war. The visit follows Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, which produced no ceasefire but included pledges of “robust security guarantees” for Ukraine.
On his social media platform, Trump wrote that Ukraine “can end the war almost immediately” if it accepts that “NO GOING INTO NATO” and that Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, would not return.
European leaders, including NATO chief Mark Rutte, French President Emmanuel Macron, and the leaders of Britain, Germany, Italy, and Finland, are set to join the Washington discussions. Macron warned that Europe must resist pressure on Ukraine to concede territory, calling Russia’s terms “a capitulation.”
Zelensky, who has consistently rejected territorial concessions, said he was eager to hear more about the Trump-Putin talks and hailed Washington’s offer of security guarantees as “historic.”
Meanwhile, Russian forces continued their offensive, with strikes on Kharkiv killing three people and injuring dozens, and an overnight attack on the Sumy region wounding two.
Zelensky, joined by European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen and several European leaders, is seeking to secure stronger international backing in efforts to end the war. The visit follows Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, which produced no ceasefire but included pledges of “robust security guarantees” for Ukraine.
On his social media platform, Trump wrote that Ukraine “can end the war almost immediately” if it accepts that “NO GOING INTO NATO” and that Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, would not return.
European leaders, including NATO chief Mark Rutte, French President Emmanuel Macron, and the leaders of Britain, Germany, Italy, and Finland, are set to join the Washington discussions. Macron warned that Europe must resist pressure on Ukraine to concede territory, calling Russia’s terms “a capitulation.”
Zelensky, who has consistently rejected territorial concessions, said he was eager to hear more about the Trump-Putin talks and hailed Washington’s offer of security guarantees as “historic.”
Meanwhile, Russian forces continued their offensive, with strikes on Kharkiv killing three people and injuring dozens, and an overnight attack on the Sumy region wounding two.
