Washington, DC — Just hours before a high-stakes White House summit, President Donald Trump publicly urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to give up Ukraine’s bid for NATO membership and its claim to Crimea, saying such concessions would “almost immediately” bring an end to the war with Russia.
In a late-night post on Truth Social on Sunday, Trump argued that Ukraine’s continued effort to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and its refusal to cede Crimea—annexed by Russia in 2014—remain key obstacles to peace. The message came ahead of Zelenskyy’s scheduled meeting Monday afternoon with Trump, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and European leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to,” Trump wrote, “or he can continue to fight.” Trump emphasized that Crimea was taken during the Obama administration “without a shot being fired,” adding, “Some things never change.”
The meeting comes on the heels of Trump’s Friday summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, where the two reportedly discussed terms for a possible ceasefire. Russia continues to occupy parts of eastern Ukraine, including much of the Donbas region, and has demanded Ukraine officially renounce its NATO ambitions as part of any settlement.
While few nations recognize Russia’s annexation of Crimea, Moscow has held the peninsula since 2014. Ukraine has vowed to reclaim the territory, and NATO’s accelerated membership track for Ukraine in 2023 heightened Russian opposition.
The White House has not officially responded to Trump’s remarks. However, Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed concerns that the presence of European leaders at Monday’s talks was an attempt to shield Zelenskyy from pressure. Rubio said Sunday the expanded delegation is standard for multilateral discussions.
U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff has floated an alternative security arrangement, suggesting that the U.S. could offer Ukraine a defense agreement modeled on NATO’s Article 5 obligations, without formal NATO membership.
Zelenskyy’s office has not commented on Trump’s proposal, but Ukrainian officials have consistently maintained that sovereignty over Crimea and NATO accession remain non-negotiable. Monday’s meeting is expected to address potential terms for peace, future security guarantees, and the status of occupied territories.
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