The US president has argued that the peace deal is near, but has accused Ukrainian leaders of making “inflammatory statements.”
US President Donald Trump has accused Ukrainian leaders of being attacked by Voldymee Zelensky and issued “very harmful” statements.
On Tuesday, President Zelensky ruled out the idea that Ukraine would transfer territory to Russia among US, European and Ukrainian officials before Wednesday’s talks in London. “There’s nothing to talk about. It’s our land, the land of Ukrainian people,” Zelensky said.
His comments came after the Trump administration reported that it was ready to accept recognition of Crimea’s annexed land as Russian territory.
In a Truth Social Platform post on Wednesday, Trump accused Zelenskyy of stealing tensions by “branding” Kyiv of not legally recognizing Ceding Crimea to Russia.
“This statement is extremely harmful to peace negotiations with Russia,” Trump said, adding that Russia invaded the Crimea and annexed it in 2014 “unbearably fired.”
“It’s an inflammatory statement like Zelenskyy, making this war extremely difficult to resolve,” Trump said. “He can have peace, or he can fight for another three years before losing the entire country.”
Previously, US Vice President JD Vance told Indian reporters that the US had “issued a very explicit proposal to both Russians and Ukrainians.”
“It’s when they say ‘Yes’ or when the US is leaving this process,” he added.
Vance said land swaps are the basis of any transaction.
“That means we have to give up some of the territory currently owned by Ukrainians and Russians,” he added.
London story
In London, US, Ukraine and European officials held “substantial” ceasefire meetings despite US Secretary of State Marco Rubio cancelling his trip.
Rubio’s no-show on Wednesday prompted a broader meeting with foreign ministers from Ukraine, France and Germany, replaced by discussion at the official level, highlighting tensions between Washington, Kiev and its European allies over the Russian war in Ukraine.
Zelenskyy said the consultation was characterized by sentiment and expressed hope that future collaboration would lead to peace. “Emotions are high today. But it’s good that the five countries met to bring peace closer,” he wrote on X Social Media Platform. “The American side shared that vision. Ukraine and other Europeans presented their views.”
Trump’s Ukrainian envoy Keith Kellogg said the discussion with Andry Yarmack, chief of staff at Zelenkie, is positive. “Now is the time to advance President Trump’s UKR-RU war orders. We stopped killings, achieved peace and put America first,” he said in a statement from X.
A spokesman for British Prime Minister Kiel Starmer downplayed the disappointment over Rubio’s sudden cancellation, saying that “a substantial technical meeting on how substantial technical meetings with officials in Europe, the US and Ukrainians can stop the fight” was triggered by Russia’s 2022 invasion.
“We are absolutely committed to ensuring just and lasting peace in Ukraine, and these consultations today are an important part of that,” the spokesman said.
A foreign ministry spokesman said, “Everyone agreed to continue the close coordination and looked forward to further discussions soon.”
At the heart of Wednesday’s speech was an attempt to establish something Kiev could possibly accept after Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkov, presented a proposal that appears to require more concessions from Ukraine than Russia.
Reuters reported that Witkov’s proposal, according to several sources, said Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, began lifting Washington’s sanctions against Russia, and began to exclude NATO’s Ukrainian membership.
Reported by Kyiv, Al Jazeera’s Zein Basravi said Ukrainians felt that the US stance was “simply unacceptable.” “The Ukrainian position is that after the invasion, the United States will ask its allies to give up its own sovereign territory,” he said.
Mattia Neres, who heads the think tank for the German and Ukrainian Bureaus at Dusseldorf, told Al Jazeera that Europe is now in a position to draw red lines and prevent Ukraine from being “unstopped under the bus.”
What was particularly bothering Europe was the US position on sanctions. “What the US is throwing into the mix is sanctions relief, which is extremely dangerous as Russia can drive Ukraine very quickly while it is in a more vulnerable position,” Neres said, adding that this remains unacceptable by both Kiev and other European countries.
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