Last month, President Donald Trump expressed his disappointment towards Russia for initiating missile strikes during the ongoing negotiations aimed at establishing a peace agreement between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Prior to boarding Air Force One, Trump spoke with reporters about various subjects, such as the peace discussions between Russia and Ukraine, talks with Iran, and the recent suicide of Virginia Giuffre, who accused Jeffrey Epstein.
Trump remarked that his meeting with Zelenskyy before Pope Francis’ funeral had been quite successful. “We will observe the developments in the coming days,” Trump stated then. “I was extremely disheartened to see missiles being launched by Russia… very disheartened.”
Trump stated that Zelenskyy raised the issue of Crimea during their discussion, identifying it as a significant point of disagreement for the Ukrainian leader.
Reports suggest that U.S. officials have proposed a potential ceasefire that would entail acknowledging Russia’s control over Crimea—territory it annexed in 2014—and maintaining the current frontlines. However, Zelenskyy has firmly stated that Crimea is a non-negotiable issue.
In 2022, Zelenskyy remarked that the Russian aggression against Ukraine and the broader free Europe “began with Crimea and must conclude with Crimea – and its liberation,” as reported by Axios. Zelenskyy reiterated his government’s stance, rejecting any proposal that would recognize Russian sovereignty over Crimea. Meanwhile, Trump attributed the loss of Crimea to the previous U.S. administrations under Presidents Obama and Biden, criticizing their approach to the region.
“Crimea was surrendered by Barack Hussein Obama, and by Biden, around 11 or 12 years ago. That was quite some time ago,” Trump stated to reporters. “I find it perplexing that he would mention Crimea now, as it has not been a topic of discussion for 12 years. I advised him to perhaps consult Obama and inquire why they relinquished it without any resistance.”
There was no justification for Putin to launch missiles into civilian regions, including cities and towns, in recent days. This leads me to believe that he may not intend to cease hostilities; rather, he appears to be prolonging the conflict and may require a different approach, possibly involving financial measures or secondary sanctions. The loss of life is alarmingly high!
He also expressed disapproval of Zelensky after the Ukrainian leader removed the option of negotiating over Crimea.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proudly declared on the front page of The Wall Street Journal that, ‘Ukraine will not legally acknowledge the occupation of Crimea. There is nothing to discuss here.’ This assertion poses a significant threat to the peace negotiations with Russia, as Crimea was lost years ago during President Barack Hussein Obama’s administration and is not even a subject for negotiation, Trump stated on his Truth Social platform.
