Trump believes that Zelenskyy will agree to US peace plan – Times
Donald Trump (photo: Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump may discuss Washington’s peace plan to end the war with Russia during a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in Rome. Trump believes the Ukrainian leader has no other choice but to agree to the US proposals, according to The Times.
According to a source close to US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, who spoke to the Western outlet, Trump believes that Zelenskyy really has no other choice but to accept the proposal.
The report also notes that the American leader is threatening to withdraw from the peace process altogether if the deal is not accepted.
According to reports, the US proposal - presented by Steve Witkoff to both Moscow and Kyiv - includes formal American recognition of Russia’s control over Crimea, as well as de facto recognition of Russian control over parts of southern and eastern Ukraine.
In contrast, European and Ukrainian proposals tie the issue of territorial control to negotiations that would take place after a ceasefire is reached.
A source close to Witkoff told The Times that Trump believes the territory has already been seized and will not be returned.
The US side reportedly believes that if Ukraine rejects the deal, the war could drag on for months or even years, and Kyiv would remain heavily reliant on European support for funding and weaponry.
The source added that cutting off US funding would essentially have the same impact as cutting off weapons deliveries, since Ukraine uses that money to purchase arms from other allies.
Trump wants concessions from Ukraine
As reported by RBC-Ukraine, the details of the US peace plan leaked to the media following a meeting in Paris on April 17, during which Trump’s proposals were delivered by Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The US is reportedly prepared to recognize Russia’s occupation of Crimea de jure and the occupation of the seized territories in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions de facto. In return, the Russian military would be required to hand over control of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant - potentially to the US - and withdraw from certain territories. However, there was confusion regarding this part of the plan, with vague references to two areas in the Kherson region or an unspecified part of the Kharkiv region.
