US President Donald Trump has indicated that he believes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky may be ready to hand over Crimea to Russia as part of a peace agreement, despite Ukraine’s repeated refusals to consider any territorial concessions.
When asked if Zelensky was prepared to give up the Crimean Peninsula — seized by Russia in 2014 — Trump replied, “I think so.”
He also called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to “stop shooting, sit down and sign a deal,” suggesting a peace agreement could be finalized within two weeks. Trump’s remarks came after he returned from the Vatican, where he had a short meeting with Zelensky during Pope Francis’ funeral.
Trump described their meeting as having gone “well,” mentioning that Crimea was only briefly discussed. He also noted that Zelensky appeared “calmer,” possibly referencing a prior confrontation between the two leaders in February.
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Ukraine has consistently rejected surrendering any territory, insisting that such issues can only be discussed after a ceasefire is achieved. Neither Zelensky nor Putin have publicly responded to Trump’s comments.
Earlier, Germany’s Defense Minister warned against any peace deal that would require Ukraine to make significant territorial sacrifices, describing such an agreement as “a capitulation.” He suggested that Ukraine must avoid agreeing to the extent of concessions reportedly proposed by Trump, adding that the country could have made such a deal a year ago but rejected it because it offered no real benefit.
Trump recently claimed that “most of the major points” of a potential peace deal had been agreed upon. Reports suggest the proposal may involve Ukraine giving up territories seized by Russia, including Crimea. Details of the plan have not been made public.
Some accounts indicate that the US proposal might accept Russia’s control over Crimea and other occupied areas like Luhansk, while excluding Ukraine from joining NATO. Instead, a UK-France-led coalition would offer Ukraine security guarantees without US participation. European proposals, however, reportedly demand stronger guarantees similar to NATO protection and postpone discussions about territorial issues until after a ceasefire.
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The proposals also differ regarding the future of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, currently held by Russia. The US plan would place the plant under international control to supply power to both Russia and Ukraine, while European and Ukrainian plans do not include this arrangement.
In a recent interview, Trump blamed Ukraine’s aspirations to join NATO for sparking the war and stated, “Crimea will stay with Russia.”
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called for quick action to secure a peace agreement, warning that continued US involvement would depend on progress being made.
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and currently occupies nearly 20% of Ukrainian territory.