US President Donald Trump has declared that Ukraine reclaiming Crimea or joining NATO are not up for discussion, as President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Washington for high-level talks aimed at securing peace with Russia, reports RTE.
Mr Zelensky, who has consistently opposed giving up any territory, is set to meet Mr Trump in Washington later today, joined by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and other senior leaders.
The talks follow a recent summit between Mr Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, held in Alaska last Friday. Though the meeting did not produce a ceasefire agreement, both leaders pledged to offer “robust security guarantees” to Ukraine, reports RTE.
President Zelensky was not invited to the Alaska talks. After that meeting, Mr Trump appeared to align with Russia’s long-standing stance that a ceasefire isn’t required before reaching a final peace agreement.
“President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight,” Mr Trump posted on his own social media platform, reports RTE.
He added: “Remember how it started. No getting back Obama given Crimea (12 years ago, without a shot being fired!), and NO GOING INTO NATO BY UKRAINE. Some things never change!!!” reports RTE.
The White House schedule indicates that Mr Trump and Mr Zelensky will hold a private meeting before being joined by a group of European leaders.
Alongside Ms von der Leyen, leaders from NATO, the UK, France, Finland, Germany, and Italy will also be in attendance, as well as NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
This visit is Mr Zelensky’s first to Washington since a contentious encounter with Mr Trump and Vice President JD Vance in February, when the Ukrainian leader was criticised for what they called a lack of gratitude, reports RTE.
Upon his arrival in Washington last night, Mr Zelensky stated: “We all share a strong desire to end this war quickly and reliably.”
Since the February clash in the Oval Office, Mr Trump has become more openly critical of Mr Putin, appearing increasingly impatient with Russia’s delay in advancing peace negotiations, reports RTE.
Nevertheless, the US has not introduced new sanctions against Moscow, and the formal reception afforded to Mr Putin in Alaska—his first trip to the West since the 2022 invasion—was perceived as a diplomatic win for Russia.
While in Brussels ahead of his trip, Mr Zelensky expressed interest in learning more about what was discussed between Mr Trump and Mr Putin during the Alaska summit, reports RTE.
He also described the US proposal of providing security guarantees to Ukraine as “historic”.
Mr Trump stated that he and Mr Putin discussed a NATO-like mutual defence assurance for Ukraine, reports RTE.
This proposed guarantee would be separate from NATO itself, the military alliance that Ukraine is eager to join—a prospect seen by Russia as a direct threat.
French President Emmanuel Macron said that European leaders intend to ask Mr Trump “to what extent” the US is prepared to support Ukraine through such security commitments.
According to Mr Trump’s representative, Steve Witkoff, Russia has shown some flexibility on the future status of five Ukrainian regions it currently controls in full or in part. He added: “There is an important discussion with regard to Donetsk and what would happen there,” reports RTE.
“That discussion is going to specifically be detailed on Monday,” he said, without elaborating, reports RTE.
Russia seized Crimea in 2014 following a widely discredited referendum and later annexed four more regions—Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia—in 2022, though its military does not fully occupy those territories, reports RTE.
A source familiar with a phone call between Mr Trump and European leaders on Saturday said the US President appeared “inclined to support” a Russian demand for control over areas of the Donbas it has not yet captured, including parts of Donetsk and Luhansk—locations that have witnessed the most intense fighting.
In return, the source said Mr Trump claimed Russia might agree to “freeze” the front lines in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, where its forces hold large portions of territory but not the regional capitals, reports RTE.
Until now, Russia has insisted that Ukraine must withdraw its forces from all four occupied regions before agreeing to any peace deal.
European officials are increasingly worried that the US could pressure Ukraine to accept Russia’s conditions.
“For peace to prevail, pressure must be applied to the aggressor, not the victim of aggression,” Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said yesterday, reports RTE.
Mr Macron said: “There is only one state proposing a peace that would be a capitulation: Russia,” reports RTE.
While President Zelensky has repeatedly rejected the idea of ceding land, he has said he is open to discussing the matter in a trilateral meeting involving the US and Russia.
Mr Trump has suggested such a summit could happen, though Moscow has downplayed the likelihood, reports RTE.
On the battlefield, Russia continues to make slow but steady gains, especially in the Donetsk area.
Ukraine and its allies frequently accuse Russia of dragging out the conflict in order to gain more ground before any potential agreement, reports RTE.
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