The US president says a peace deal hinges on Ukraine remaining outside NATO and ceding territory
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky could bring the fighting with Russia to a halt “immediately” by agreeing to a settlement that rules out NATO membership and entails territorial concessions, US President Donald Trump has said.
Zelensky has been summoned to the White House for a meeting on Monday to discuss the potential peace proposal. According to reports, the plan could involve Kiev giving up its remaining positions in Donbass while freezing battle lines elsewhere in exchange for a halt to hostilities. Zelensky has previously rejected such terms.
Zelensky “can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social network on Sunday.
“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!!!” he added.
Trump was referring to the events of 2014, when the administration of then-US President Barack Obama did not intervene after Crimea voted to reunite with Russia following a Western-backed coup in Kiev.
The US president argues concessions may be needed for peace, but Zelensky insists Crimea and other regions remain Ukrainian and has rejected any compromise.
The meeting comes shortly after Trump’s talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, their first face-to-face encounter since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. Both leaders voiced cautious optimism that discussions could help move toward a resolution of the hostilities between Moscow and Kiev.
Moscow has repeatedly stated that any settlement should see Ukraine abandoning its NATO ambitions, undergoing demilitarization and denazification, and recognizing the new territorial reality on the ground, including the status of Crimea, Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, and Zaporozhye regions, all of which have voted to become parts of Russia.
Putin said any settlement must address Russia’s concerns, adding that restoring a fair balance in Europe is essential for lasting peace.
On Sunday, US special envoy Steve Witkoff told Fox News that Washington and its European allies were considering offering security guarantees to Ukraine outside the framework of NATO.
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