WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Trump says 'inflammatory' Zelenskyy statement on Crimea prolongs war with Russia

President Donald Trump slammed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s statement on Crimea, saying it was "very harmful" to peacemaking efforts.

"It’s inflammatory statements like Zelenskyy’s that make it so difficult to settle this war," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. "He has nothing to boast about! The situation for Ukraine is dire — He can have peace or, he can fight for another three years before losing the whole country."

Trump also rejected Zelenskyy’s red line in the Truth Social post, saying it was "not even a point of discussion," as the territory was "lost years ago" under then-President Barack Obama.

American officials have apparently floated the idea of recognizing Russia's control of Crimea, a territory that Russia seized in 2014, as part of a ceasefire proposal. This would also involve the freezing of current frontlines. 

In 2022, Zelenskyy said that the "Russian war against Ukraine and against the entire free Europe began with Crimea and must end with Crimea — and its liberation," Axios reported. He reiterated this stance on Tuesday, shutting down the idea that Ukraine would recognize Russian control of Crimea.

"Ukraine will not legally recognize the occupation of Crimea," Zelenskyy said at a press conference here on Tuesday, according to the Wall Street Journal. "There’s nothing to talk about here. This is against our constitution."

This is not the first time Trump has criticized Zelenskyy’s statements about the war. During their infamous meeting in the Oval Office on Feb. 28, Trump said that Zelenskyy’s "hatred" of Russian President Vladimir Putin was making it "very tough" to make a deal.

"You see the hatred he's got for Putin, it's very tough for me to make a deal with that kind of hate, he's got tremendous hatred," Trump told reporters. "And I understand that, but I can tell you the other side isn't exactly in love with, you know, him either."

Trump appeared to allude to the Oval Office meeting in his Truth Social post, calling Zelenskyy "the man with no cards to play." This echoed Trump’s remark during the tense February meeting in which he said that Zelenskyy didn’t "have the cards" to make major demands in peace talks.

While Zelenskyy has made his demands clear, it remains uncertain what might persuade Putin to agree to a ceasefire. Although Trump administration officials have stated that they have had productive conversations with Putin, they have yet to get Russia to agree to a ceasefire proposal.

Earlier on Wednesday, Vice President JD Vance suggested that the U.S. was prepared to walk away from peace talks if Ukraine and Russia did not reach a deal soon.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Russia isn’t seeking Zelensky’s removal – Kremlin

Ukrainian officials in the future could legally challenge any agreements signed by Vladimir Zelensky, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said. Despite this, he said Russia is not demanding that Zelensky step down.

Moscow has repeatedly rejected Zelensky’s legitimacy since his presidential term lapsed last May. He has since postponed elections with successive extensions of martial law roughly every three months. Ukraine’s parliament supported the latest extension last week.

In an interview with French weekly Le Point published on Wednesday, Peskov was asked whether Russia was demanding the Ukrainian leader’s resignation.

”It’s not one of our demands, but even if an agreement were signed with Zelensky today, people could come forward later in Ukraine and legally challenge his legitimacy,” the spokesman said.

”This is in relation to martial law and certain articles of the Ukrainian Constitution... The role of the Rada is enshrined in the constitution, not that of the president,” Peskov added.

Moscow maintains that the Ukrainian constitution allows Zelensky to transfer presidential authority to the current speaker of Ukraine’s parliament, the Rada.

Russia does not insist on the Ukrainian leader stepping down as a precondition to starting bilateral talks, Russian President Vladimir Putin said late last year. However, any final document would have to be signed with the de jure leader of Ukraine, he said.

”But if we ever get to the point of signing a document, it can only be done with the representatives of legitimate authorities, that is the bottom line,” Putin said.

Russian officials have also pointed out that another hurdle to potential talks between Moscow and Kiev is Zelensky’s decree banning any negotiations with Putin.

No direct talks between Russia and Ukraine have taken place since the collapse of the Istanbul negotiations in 2022. Then UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson convinced Kiev to stop diplomacy and keep fighting, according to the head of Kiev’s delegation, David Arakhamia.

Fox News/RT