Trump slams Zelenskyy for rejecting Ukraine-Russia negotiations, claims a deal was ‘very shut’

LONDON — President Donald Trump slammed Ukrainian chief Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday, accusing him of derailing negotiations to finish the warfare in Ukraine whereas a peace deal was “very shut.”

In an extended put up on Fact Social, Trump described Zelenskyy’s rejection of Russia’s takeover of Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014, as “very dangerous” to reaching peace. 

“It’s inflammatory statements like Zelenskyy’s that makes it so troublesome to settle this Struggle,” Trump wrote.

Zelenskyy has persistently rejected the suggestion that his nation surrender its declare to the Crimean Peninsula. 

“There’s nothing to speak about right here,” he stated at a media convention Tuesday. “That is in opposition to our structure.”

Trump’s put up comes after months of discord between the 2 leaders, together with a heated alternate throughout a Zelenskyy go to to the Oval Workplace in February. The 2 males had a near-shouting match when Zelenskyy famous that Russia has damaged agreements with Ukraine up to now in a disagreement that included Vice President JD Vance.

The scenario escalated when Trump raised his voice and pointed his finger at Zelenskyy, accusing him of “playing with World Struggle III” and being “disrespectful” to the U.S.

Trump ordered a pause on navy support, together with offering Ukraine with intelligence, following the Oval Workplace conflict.

Zelenskyy urged Trump to go to Ukraine earlier this month after Russia launched two ballistic missiles on the Ukrainian metropolis of Sumy, killing 34 individuals and injuring 119. He instructed {that a} go to to the destruction would assist U.S. management “perceive what Putin did.”

Excessive-level talks aimed toward bringing a pause to preventing in Ukraine disintegrated earlier after Secretary of State Marco Rubio and particular envoy Steve Witkoff pulled out, dealing a blow to Kyiv’s hopes for a short-term peace settlement.

Whereas ministerial talks that had been deliberate in London fell aside, Trump’s particular envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, nonetheless deliberate to fulfill with Ukrainian presidential chief of workers Andriy Yermak, who arrived in London early Wednesday together with the Ukrainian protection and international ministers.

“Regardless of every little thing, we proceed working for peace,” Yermak stated in a put up on X.

Vance stated he was “optimistic” in regards to the talks, but in addition doubled down on the menace to stroll away from negotiations.

“I feel that we put collectively a particularly reasonable proposal,” Vance instructed reporters on his journey in India. “We’ll see if the Europeans, the Russians and the Ukrainians are finally capable of get this factor over the end line.”

The newest setback comes throughout every week during which the Trump administration has doubled down on its efforts to push Kyiv and Moscow towards a truce. Subsequent week marks 100 days of Trump’s second presidential time period, and he promised to finish the warfare on his first day again in workplace. Rubio instructed final week that america could stroll away from ceasefire efforts, failing any additional progress.

Earlier, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that the U.S. has not set a deadline for a ceasefire and that “Russia doesn’t contemplate it acceptable to set deadlines both,” Russian information company Tass reported.

“The downgrading is critical,” stated Bence Németh, a senior lecturer within the protection research division at King’s School London, citing Zelenskyy’s rejection that Russia keep management of Crimea as a part of any deal.

Rubio and Witkoff’s absence “means that Washington is more and more disinterested in drawn-out, multilateral negotiations,” Németh added. “This isn’t nearly diplomacy fatigue. It additionally alerts a tough pivot: The U.S. is just not positioning itself as a impartial mediator.”

State Division spokesperson Tammy Bruce confirmed Tuesday that Rubio would skip the assembly hours after saying the alternative. “That isn’t an announcement concerning the conferences. It’s an announcement about logistical points in his schedule,” he stated.

Regardless of preliminary plans to attend the scheduled talks, neither Rubio nor Witkoff have been in London on Wednesday, a European diplomat instructed NBC Information.

The British Overseas Ministry stated that “the Ukraine peace talks assembly with international ministers at present is being postponed,” with high officers from France and Germany additionally confirming their absence.

In addition to assembly with Kellogg, Ukrainian Overseas Minister Andrii Sybiha stated in a put up on X that he, Yermak and Protection Minister Rustem Umerov would sit down with the British international and protection ministers.

Yulia Svyrydenko, the nation’s deputy prime minister, added in a put up on X that Ukraine was prepared to barter, “however to not give up.”

“Our individuals won’t settle for a frozen battle disguised as peace,” Svyrydenko wrote.

Expectations that Kyiv and Moscow would make a deal to finish their three-year warfare this week remained low after the U.S. offered Ukraine and its European allies with peace proposals final week in Paris that either side noticed as unacceptable, in line with NBC Information’ worldwide associate, Sky Information.

Below a “phrases sheet” provided by Rubio and Witkoff, a land-for-peace deal would acknowledge Russia’s presently unlawful annexation of Crimea and work towards lifting European Union sanctions on Russia. Each events have since rejected the phrases.

After months of upbeat statements on oblique U.S.-led talks, however restricted sensible engagement, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday instructed for the primary time that he could be open to bilateral ceasefire talks with Zelenskyy.

The difficulty of Crimea could be probably the most troublesome factors of distinction to beat, stated Matthew Savill, director of navy sciences on the Royal United Companies Institute, a London-based assume tank.

“I feel it will likely be terribly troublesome, bordering on political suicide, for him [Zelenskyy] to decide to paper on issues like giving up Crimea,” Savill stated. That stated, “Ukraine is just not going to recapture Crimea anytime quickly. Ukraine is unlikely to be a NATO member anytime quickly.”

“There is perhaps some formulation [of a deal] that successfully kicks these into the lengthy grass,” Savill added, with the caveat that “the phrases of any deal for the time being usually are not going to be significantly favorable to Ukraine.”