Washington: US President Donald Trump has said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky could chose to end the war with Russia “almost immediately” or “he can continue to fight”.
“President Zelensky of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight,” Trump said on Sunday on his Truth Social platform.
“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!!!”
On the eve of highly consequential talks with Zelensky and a large delegation of European leaders, President Trump has previewed the message he will deliver to his White House visitors: Zelensky must agree to some of Russia’s conditions for the war in Ukraine to end.
The post underscored the pressure Zelensky will face on Monday as Trump works to end the conflict.
The two conditions he listed — that Ukraine cede Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014, and that it agree never to join NATO — are among the conditions Russian President Vladimir Putin has set for ending the war.
European leaders visiting the White House with Zelensky on Monday are concerned the meeting will amount to Trump pressuring the Ukrainian leader to accept the conditions Putin put forward in their Alaska summit last week.
They hope to glean more information from Trump on what Russia might concede as part of a peace deal, including what role the US would play in providing security guarantees going forward.
“Big day at the White House tomorrow. Never had so many European Leaders at one time. My great honour to host them!!!” Trump posted after his message to Zelensky.
The European delegation: French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Finland President Alexander Stubb and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will all join Zelensky for the visit to the White House on Monday. Trump met Putin in Alaska on Friday but the talks failed to yield any breakthrough on a ceasefire — though White House envoy Steve Witkoff said both leaders had agreed to provide “robust security guarantees” to Ukraine.
European Commission Chief Ursula von der Leyen hailed the news, but Zelensky, speaking alongside her at a news conference in Brussels, rejected the idea of Russia offering his country security guarantees.
“What President Trump said about security guarantees is much more important to me than Putin’s thoughts, because Putin will not give any security guarantees,” he said.
Zelensky later said on social media that the US offer regarding security guarantees was “historic”. (IANS)
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