President Trump responded on Wednesday to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s repeated torpedoing of peace talks with Russia following new demands from Zelensky in order to end the war.
This comes after Zelensky sabotaged peace negotiations with President Trump in February by showing utter disrespect to the President and reneging on a pre-agreed-upon peace deal. Ukraine had previously approved Trump’s requested mineral rights deal with the US to compensate Americans for the hundreds of billions of dollars of taxpayer money Joe Biden gave them over the last four years, but the agreement was not formalized during Zelensky’s meeting with the President.
As The Gateway Pundit reported Zelensky and Putin agreed to a ceasefire during Easter Sunday, making peace in the region seem closer than ever before.
However, Zelensky declared on Tuesday that Ukraine will not recognize Russia’s occupation of Crimea, a statement that President Trump slammed as “very harmful to the Peace Negotiations with Russia in that Crimea was lost years ago under the auspices of President Barack Hussein Obama.”
Per the Wall Street Journal:
“Ukraine will not legally recognize the occupation of Crimea,” Zelensky said at a press conference here on Tuesday. “There’s nothing to talk about here. This is against our constitution.”
Zelensky’s dismissal upends Trump’s latest gambit to halt the war in Ukraine—now in its fourth year—and casts new uncertainty on the future of the relationship between Kyiv and Washington, which Trump has made conditional on a quick deal.
American officials had presented a series of ideas for ending the war—including the Crimea proposal—to Ukrainian officials last week and expected an answer on Wednesday at a summit in London, where Ukrainian, U.S. and European officials will gather.
Zelensky said Russia should agree to a cease-fire before further talks in order to demonstrate “serious steps, and not childishness.” He said that Ukrainian officials meeting with U.S. and European officials in London on Wednesday would have a mandate to discuss a partial or full cease-fire, which Ukraine agreed to last month but Moscow rejected.
President Trump responded to this report, remarking that Zelensky’s “inflammatory statements” will only prolong the war and calling on Zelensky to end the fighting by making a deal. “I look forward to being able to help Ukraine, and Russia, get out of this Complete and Total MESS, that would have never started if I were President!” he said.
Full statement below:
Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is boasting on the front page of The Wall Street Journal that, “Ukraine will not legally recognize the occupation of Crimea. There’s nothing to talk about here.” This statement is very harmful to the Peace Negotiations with Russia in that Crimea was lost years ago under the auspices of President Barack Hussein Obama, and is not even a point of discussion.
Nobody is asking Zelenskyy to recognize Crimea as Russian Territory but, if he wants Crimea, why didn’t they fight for it eleven years ago when it was handed over to Russia without a shot being fired? The area also houses, for many years before “the Obama handover,” major Russian submarine bases.
It’s inflammatory statements like Zelenskyy’s that makes it so difficult to settle this War. 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. I have nothing to do with Russia, but have much to do with wanting to save, on average, five thousand Russian and Ukrainian soldiers a week, who are dying for no reason whatsoever.
The statement made by Zelenskyy today will do nothing but prolong the “killing field,” and nobody wants that! We are very close to a Deal, but the man with “no cards to play” should now, finally, GET IT DONE. I look forward to being able to help Ukraine, and Russia, get out of this Complete and Total MESS, that would have never started if I were President!
The post JUST IN: President Trump Shreds Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Amid Disruption in Peace Talks – “We are Very Close to a Deal, but the Man with ‘No Cards to Play’ Should Now, Finally, GET IT DONE.” appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.