Trump suggests Zelenskyy may have to drop NATO, Crimea to stop war
Donald Trump (photo: Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump said that Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy could instantly end the war in Ukraine. As a condition, he hinted at giving up Crimea and abandoning NATO membership, according to Trump’s post.
"President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight," wrote the head of the White House.
He then suggested recalling how it all began, mentioning the loss of Crimea and hinting at rejecting Ukraine’s NATO membership.
"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!!!" he concluded.
“Peace” in exchange for territory
On the night of August 16, US President Donald Trump met with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin. Their summit took place in Alaska, with the war in Ukraine being the key topic of negotiations.
After the summit, Trump gave an interview to Fox News, where he advised making a deal with Russia, stressing that the next move depends on Zelenskyy.
Trump originally went into the summit to achieve an immediate ceasefire - otherwise, he had promised to impose secondary sanctions. However, after the meeting, he began promoting the idea of a full-fledged peace agreement.
According to Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, this shift came as a result of significant progress in talks with Russia.
Following the Alaska meeting, reports emerged in the media about what Putin wants in exchange for peace. Allegedly, Russia is demanding a complete withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the Donetsk region in return for freezing the frontlines in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.
Moscow is also reportedly ready to discuss pulling its troops out of parts of the Sumy and Kharkiv regions. In addition, Putin wants Crimea recognized as Russian - though it remains unclear whether only by the US, or by all Western nations and Ukraine as well.
Beyond that, Russia has further demands regarding the status of the Russian language and more. A full list was reported by RBC-Ukraine.
Meanwhile, today, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to meet Trump at the White House, where they are expected to discuss the details of ending the war.
