Trump tells Zelensky he can end Ukraine-Russia war 'immediately' as he lays out terms for peace with Putin ahead of White House summit
Trump categorically ruled out Zelenskyy's desire to see Ukraine join NATO and indicated he has no desire to see Crimea returned to Ukrainian rule.
His shock position comes just hours ahead of his scheduled meeting with Zelenskyy in Washington on Monday.
'President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight,' Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday night.
'Remember how it started. 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!!!'
Leaders from Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Finland are rallying around the Ukrainian president and will join him in Washington on Monday amid fears he is walking into a trap.
Their pledge to be at Zelenskyy's side at the White House on Monday is an apparent effort to ensure the meeting goes better than the last one in February, when Trump berated Zelenskyy in a heated Oval Office encounter.
'The Europeans are very afraid of the Oval Office scene being repeated and so they want to support Mr. Zelenskyy to the hilt,' said retired French Gen. Dominique Trinquand, a former head of France's military mission at the United Nations.
'It's a power struggle and a position of strength that might work with Trump,' he said.
Neil Melvin, director of international security at the London-based Royal United Services Institute, said European leaders are trying to 'shape this fast-evolving agenda.'
After the Alaska summit, the idea of a ceasefire appears all-but-abandoned, with the narrative shifting toward Putin's agenda of ensuring Ukraine does not join NATO or even the EU.
Zelenskyy earlier pushed back against Trump's assertion — which aligned with Putin's preference — that the two sides should negotiate a complete end to the war, rather than first securing a ceasefire.
Zelenskyy said a ceasefire would provide breathing room to review Putin's demands.
'It's impossible to do this under the pressure of weapons,' he said. 'Putin does not want to stop the killing, but he must do it.'
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