By Doina Chiacu, Elizabeth Piper, and John Irish
WASHINGTON/LONDON/PARIS — On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy once more found themselves at odds over strategies to resolve the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, now entering its third year. During their exchange, Trump criticized Zelenskiy for not acknowledging Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
Trump's Vice President JD Vance stated that it was time for Russia and Ukraine to either accept a U.S.-proposed peace plan or for the United States to withdraw from the negotiations altogether, mirroring a caution issued by Trump earlier in the week.
Addressing journalists in India, Vance stated that the proposal entailed maintaining territorial boundaries at a point roughly similar to their current positions and aiming for a "long-term diplomatic resolution" with the hope of achieving enduring peace.
The sole method to genuinely halt the bloodshed is for the military forces to lay down their arms and bring this conflict to an immediate standstill, " he stated.
A Western official acquainted with the U.S. plan mentioned that it similarly entailed acknowledging Russia’s seizure of Crimea.
After assuming power in January, Trump has overturned U.S. strategy regarding the conflict in Ukraine, urging Ukraine to accept a truce while reducing the strain on Russia, which initiated a comprehensive assault against its neighboring country in 2022.
On Tuesday, Zelenskiy reaffirmed that Ukraine will never surrender Crimea to Russia. He stated, “This topic is off-limits as it contradicts our constitution.”
Trump, who argued with Zelenskiy in a disastrous Oval Office meeting in March, called this an inflammatory statement that made peace harder to achieve. He said Crimea was lost years ago "and is not even a point of discussion."
"Nobody is asking Zelenskiy to recognize Crimea as Russian Territory but, if he wants Crimea, why didn’t they fight for it eleven years ago when it was handed over to Russia without a shot being fired?" Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Zelenskiya recognized afterwards in an X post that discussions held in London on Wednesday involving US, Ukrainian, and European officials were characterized by intense emotions. However, he voiced optimism that forthcoming collaborative efforts might result in achieving peace.
He reaffirmed that Ukraine would adhere to its constitution and expressed his confidence that Kyiv's allies, notably the United States, “would support their firm choices.”
He posted a 2018 Crimea Declaration by Mike Pompeo, who was Secretary of State under President Trump's initial term, stating: "The United States does not recognize Russia’s purported annexation of Crimea and commits to upholding this stance until Ukraine’s territorial integrity is fully reinstated."
The U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called off his attendance at the London discussions, leading to the postponement of an expanded gathering involving foreign ministers from Ukraine, Britain, France, and Germany. This move highlights the rifts between Washington, Kyiv, and their European partners regarding strategies to conclude the conflict.
TRUMP'S 'TOLERANCE IS QUICKLY DIMINISHING'
Trump, who promised during his election campaign to end the war within his first 24 hours back in the White House, scolded Zelenskiy and said the U.S. was trying to stop the killing in Ukraine and that they were "very close to a deal" for peace.
The White House spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, informed journalists that Trump is feeling “disappointed” about the progress of negotiations and that Zelenskiy appears to be heading in an unfavorable direction.
Russian fighters seized control of the Crimean peninsula in 2014 in a move that was condemned internationally.
Multiple reports indicate that suggestions put forth by President Donald Trump’s representative, Steve Witkoff, encompass acknowledging Russia's seizure of Crimea, endorsing Moscow’s dominance over 20% of Ukrainian land seized during the conflict, prohibiting Ukraine’s accession to NATO, and eliminating economic penalties imposed by Western nations.
Trump's Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg said on X that there were positive talks in London with Zelenskiy's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, and added: "It's time to move forward on President Trump's UKR-RU war directive: stop the killing, achieve peace, and put America First."
Trump raised the pressure on Sunday when he said he hoped Moscow and Kyiv would make a deal this week to end the conflict.
The main focus of Wednesday's discussions was to determine what Kiev might find acceptable, following Witkoff’s presentation of propositions at a comparable meeting in Paris last week. According to three diplomatic sources, these suggestions seemed to require greater compromises from Ukraine compared to what Russia was asking for.
TRUMP'S DIPLOMAT ANTICIPATED TO MEET WITH PUTIN ON FRIDAY
Witkoff is expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin again on Friday, a U.S. official told .
Witkoff has previously met with Putin thrice to talk about potential ways to conclude the conflict, and he is set to return to Moscow later this week for further discussions, according to statements from the White House.
After Trump announced his intention to mediate peace in Ukraine and unexpectedly called Putin in February, European countries hastened to discover methods to back Kyiv amidst Moscow’s actions while also maintaining alignment with the United States.
A joint statement from Britain, France and Germany after the London talks said all parties had reiterated strong support for Trump's "commitment to stopping the killing and achieving a just and lasting peace."
The statement indicated that "substantial advancement was achieved regarding the formulation of a shared strategy for subsequent actions," and everyone concurred with maintaining tight collaboration while expressing enthusiasm about upcoming discussions.
(Reported by John Irish from Paris, Elizabeth Piper, Daphne Psaledakis, and Tom Balmforth from London; additional reports provided by Erin Banco, Jonathan Landay, Steve Holland, and Gram Slattery from Washington as well as Yuliia Dysa, Anna Pruchnicka, and Max Hunder from Kyiv; written by David Brunnstrom, Liz Piper, and Kate Holton; edited by Humeyra Pamuk, Alison Williams, Ros Russell, Mark Heinrich, Cynthia Osterman, and Daniel Wallis)