Trump Says Ukraine Could End War Quickly—But Only If It Gives Up NATO Bid and Crimea
Donald Trump claimed that Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, could stop the war with Russia "almost immediately" if he agreed to certain terms—most importantly, staying out of NATO and accepting that Crimea will remain under Russian control.
Just hours before meeting Zelensky at the White House, Trump took to his Truth Social platform to make the comments, suggesting that some outcomes of the war, like Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, were inevitable. "No getting back Obama-given Crimea," he wrote, adding, "NO GOING INTO NATO BY UKRAINE."
This came shortly after Trump’s summit in Alaska with Vladimir Putin, where the U.S. president backed away from demanding a ceasefire, instead pushing for a longer-term peace agreement. A U.S. envoy later revealed that Putin was open to a possible NATO-style security pact for Ukraine, though it would fall short of full NATO membership—a key sticking point for Russia.
Zelensky, who arrived in the U.S. on Sunday, repeated his call for strong, dependable security guarantees from allies. He emphasized that past promises, like those made in 1994, failed to protect Ukraine.
Speaking about Crimea, Zelensky said it should never have been handed over to Russia and insisted that Ukraine has no intention of giving up other cities like Kyiv, Odesa, or Kharkiv.
Meanwhile, numerous European leaders—including those from the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and the EU—are in Washington for critical talks about Ukraine’s future. While it’s unclear how many will join Zelensky at the White House, their presence underlines the urgency and high stakes of the moment.
European diplomats worry that Trump may try to pressure Zelensky into a peace deal, especially since the Ukrainian president wasn’t invited to the Trump-Putin meeting. But U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed those concerns, calling them a "stupid media narrative."
This isn’t the first tense moment between Zelensky and Trump. In February, a heated argument in the Oval Office—where Trump accused Zelensky of risking World War Three—left relations strained. However, since then, European allies have worked hard to repair the relationship, even helping coach Zelensky to use more business-like language when dealing with Trump.
Recent signs show improvement. Ukraine has made economic agreements with the U.S., including a minerals deal, and has offered to pay for American weapons. Zelensky and Trump even had a private meeting at the Vatican in April and spoke by phone in July—a call Zelensky described as their best so far.
Despite these diplomatic efforts, Russian troops continue to make gains in Ukraine and now occupy nearly 20% of the country since the full-scale invasion in 2022.
Ahead of Monday’s key talks, Zelensky and several European leaders held a virtual summit Sunday to coordinate their approach. French President Emmanuel Macron said the goal was to show a united front when facing Trump.
One U.S. official, Steve Witkoff, told CNN that Putin had agreed to major concessions, including stronger security protections for Ukraine—possibly similar to NATO’s Article 5, which ensures mutual defense. Witkoff suggested this could be a compromise if Ukraine agrees not to officially join NATO.
Still, Putin is holding firm on demanding control of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine, which make up the Donbas area. Zelensky responded by saying that Ukraine’s constitution doesn’t allow the government to give away land, and that any such decisions should only be discussed in a three-way summit between Ukraine, Russia, and the U.S.
Despite some progress, Secretary of State Rubio cautioned against expecting a quick resolution, saying on Sunday that “we’re still a long way off.”
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