Trump Urges Zelenskyy To Abandon Crimea, NATO Bid Ahead Of Washington Talks

U.S. President Donald Trump has increased pressure on Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy, suggesting that Kyiv could “end the war almost immediately” if it dropped its NATO aspirations and abandoned claims to Crimea.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote:
“President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight. 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!!!”

The comments came just hours before Zelenskyy’s White House meeting with Trump, ahead of a wider summit with European leaders from Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Finland, the EU, and NATO. Diplomats fear Trump may press Kyiv into concessions favorable to Moscow.

European delegates are expected to reaffirm support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and reject any peace deal that involves territorial compromise. They are also seeking clarity on what alternative security guarantees Washington may offer Kyiv outside NATO.

Arriving in Washington late Sunday, Zelenskyy struck a defiant but unifying note:
“I am grateful to the president of the United States for the invitation. We all equally want to end this war swiftly and reliably. I hope that our shared strength with America and with our European friends will compel Russia to real peace,” he wrote on Telegram and X.

The White House confirmed that Trump will first meet Zelenskyy in the Oval Office before hosting the broader summit in the East Room.

The talks follow Trump’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska last week, widely seen as a win for Moscow. Trump has insisted that the encounter marked “big progress” on Russia.

Meanwhile, Russia’s envoy to international organizations in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, reiterated Moscow’s stance that any future peace deal must include security guarantees not only for Ukraine but also for Russia.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, speaking ahead of the Washington summit, welcomed Trump’s pursuit of dialogue but warned that no settlement could bypass Ukraine’s consent. He also pressed for tougher sanctions on Moscow.

Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, disclosed that Putin had, for the first time, agreed to allow U.S. and European protection for Ukraine under a structure modeled on NATO’s Article 5 collective defense clause — but outside the alliance framework.