US President Donald Trump announced prior to a crucial meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that reclaiming Crimea or Ukraine’s entry into NATO are not on the table for discussion.
Zelensky, who has consistently resisted any territorial concessions throughout the conflict, arrived in Washington for talks aimed at finding a resolution to the ongoing war with Russia.
He is joined by European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen and other European leaders for this significant meeting, which is a direct follow-up to a summit Trump held with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska just days before.
This Alaska summit, which did not result in a ceasefire breakthrough, did see both leaders make commitments to provide robust security guarantees to Ukraine, although the specifics remain unclear.
Following the Alaska talks, Trump, in a post on his social media platform, indicated that Zelensky has the capability to end the conflict with Russia swiftly but suggested that the Ukrainian leader must be willing to negotiate.
He stated, “President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight. 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!!!”
The scheduled meeting on Monday is set to begin with a one-on-one discussion between Trump and Zelensky before the inclusion of other leaders, including NATO chief Mark Rutte, and representatives from the United Kingdom, Finland, France, Germany, and Italy.
This visit marks Zelensky’s first trip to Washington since a contentious encounter with Trump and Vice President JD Vance in February, during which both officials expressed dissatisfaction with the Ukrainian president’s approach.
Upon his arrival in Washington, Zelensky expressed a collective desire among leaders to swiftly and reliably bring an end to the ongoing war.
Since the fracas in February, Trump seems to have become more critical of Putin, displaying frustration due to Russia’s repeated delays in the peace talks.
Despite the tension, however, Washington has refrained from imposing additional sanctions on Moscow. Many observers viewed the warm reception that Putin received in Alaska as a diplomatic victory for Russia.
Before heading to the US, Zelensky expressed his eagerness to learn more about the discussions that took place between Trump and Putin in Alaska.
He characterized Washington’s offer of security guarantees for Ukraine as historic, signaling a turning point in international support for his country.
Trump mentioned that his discussions with Putin included the potential for creating a NATO-style collective defense guarantee for Ukraine, although this would lie outside the framework of NATO, which Ukraine has sought to join despite Russia’s severe opposition.
French President Emmanuel Macron underscored the importance of discussions that European leaders planned to have with Trump regarding the scale of Washington’s support for these security guarantees.
The implications of land negotiations were addressed by Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, who noted that Moscow had shown willingness to make some concessions about five Ukrainian regions still facing uncertainty regarding control.
Witkoff mentioned that detailed discussions, especially concerning Donetsk, would be an essential part of the upcoming talks.
Since 2014, Russia has occupied Crimea after holding a referendum widely condemned as illegitimate, and similar actions were taken in 2022 when it claimed four additional Ukrainian regions, including Donetsk and Kherson, despite not having full control over them.
Sources, who were briefed on a recent conversation between Trump and European leaders, indicated that Trump appeared “inclined to support” a Russian request for territory that it has yet to seize in Donbas, a particularly volatile area in eastern Ukraine.
In return, it was suggested that Russia would agree to stabilize the frontlines in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, where it maintains territorial gains without controlling regional capitals.
Historically, Russia has insisted that Ukraine must withdraw its forces from all four regions as a precondition for any peace agreement, raising concerns among European allies about the implications for Ukraine.
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski emphasized that any pathway to peace must involve applying pressure to the aggressor rather than imposing burdens on the victim of aggression.
Meanwhile, Macron warned that any proposals for peace must not equate to capitulation, reiterating the position that only Russia is advocating for a peace agreement that would demand such concessions.
While Zelensky has steadfastly maintained that he will not cede territory, he is reportedly open to discussing this thorny issue in the context of a trilateral summit involving Trump and Putin.
Trump has floated the idea of such a meeting, but Russian responses to the suggestion have been muted.
As conflict continues unabated, ground forces from Russia have been advancing steadily in Ukraine, particularly in the Donetsk region, with recent Russian attacks claiming lives and resulting in injuries in Kharkiv and the Sumy region.
With the stakes of the ongoing conflict only growing, the discussions in Washington hold the potential for significant implications for both Ukraine and the broader European security landscape.
image source from：timesofisrael
