Ukraine War: Donald Trump Praises Zelensky and Is Disappointed in Putin

Washington/Kiev. According to US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy could forgo the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea in a peace agreement with Russia, thus breaking a taboo. When asked whether Zelenskyy would be willing to cede Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, to Moscow, Trump said, according to the press traveling with him at the New Jersey airport, "I think so." The topic came up briefly during the meeting with Zelenskyy in Rome on Saturday.

Zelensky has so far categorically rejected giving up Crimea or other territories in eastern Ukraine annexed by Moscow. For Trump, however, it seems clear that Crimea will remain with Russia. He recently described the return of Crimea to Ukraine as a "ridiculous demand."

Ukrainian territorial cessions to Russia are reportedly the subject of talks between Moscow and Washington. Ukraine has been resisting the Russian war of aggression for more than three years.

Trump met with Zelensky for a 15-minute conversation on Saturday on the sidelines of Pope Francis's funeral in Rome. On his return to the US, he accused Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin of possibly not being seriously interested in ending the war and threatened Russia with new sanctions.

Trump described his conversation with Zelensky in St. Peter's Basilica as a "good meeting." He said we'll see what happens. Zelensky asked for more weapons during the meeting. Addressing Putin, Trump told him he should stop shooting and make a peace deal. The Kremlin chief must demonstrate his commitment to ending the war.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio increased pressure on Moscow and Kyiv to sit down at the negotiating table for peace talks as soon as possible. "This week will be a very important week in which we have to decide whether we want to continue to participate in this project or whether it's time to focus on other issues that are just as important, if not more so," Rubio said, referring to the US's mediating role.

However, when asked how much time Kyiv and Moscow had left to reach an agreement, he declined to give a concrete answer. He said it would be "silly" to set a specific date.

The US Secretary of State said, with regard to a possible agreement, that the goal has not yet been achieved. "There are reasons to be optimistic, but of course also reasons to be realistic. We're close, but not close enough," Rubio said. "We've made real progress, but the last few steps along the way will always be the most difficult."

According to the state news agency Tass, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported that Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Rubio discussed the Ukraine crisis in a telephone conversation. The Kremlin had previously stated that Russia was ready to negotiate with Kyiv without preconditions.

Zelensky continues to accuse Russia of deceptive maneuvers in the tug-of-war over a possible end to the war. "The Russians talk a lot about their alleged willingness to accept American proposals, but so far there have been no signs of the Russian army preparing for a real silencing (of the weapons)," Zelensky said in his evening video address. On the contrary, Russia has even resumed its attacks since Easter.

"And every day of such fighting on the front lines proves that Russia is truly trying to deceive the world, to betray the US and others, and to further prolong this war," the Ukrainian leader added. Since the first exploratory talks for a possible peace on March 11 in Jeddah, Russia has used nearly 8,500 aircraft bombs, 200 missiles of all types, and over 3,000 kamikaze drones against Ukraine. "This must stop; Russia must cease these attacks – unconditionally."

In this context, Zelensky reiterated his call for continued pressure on Russia. Only with international pressure can the Russians be persuaded to take all necessary steps to end the war. The United States, in particular, is called upon to play a key role in this.

On the sidelines of Pope Francis's funeral in Rome, Zelenskyy held one-on-one talks with Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Afterward, he emphasized that Ukraine was ready for an unconditional ceasefire. Russia was now called upon to agree to it.

Acting Defense Minister Boris Pistorius considers Trump's proposals for extensive territorial cessions from Ukraine to Russia to be too far-reaching. "Because what was written there, Ukraine could have achieved on its own, almost a year ago through a capitulation," the SPD politician said on the ARD program "Report from Berlin."

Boris Pistorius (SPD), Acting Federal Minister of Defence

Source: Anna Ross/dpa

Ukraine knows that a sustainable, trustworthy ceasefire agreement or peace settlement "may or will also involve territorial cessions." It would not itself tie these to territorial borders. Rather, they must ultimately be proportionate to future security guarantees.

Meanwhile, North Korea confirmed for the first time that it had sent its own troops to support Russia in the Ukraine war. The deployment was ordered by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, according to North Korea's state news agency KCNA. KCNA quoted North Korean military leaders as saying that "operations to liberate the Kursk region" had been victoriously concluded.

Russia's military leadership also confirmed for the first time on Saturday the deployment of North Korean soldiers in the Ukraine war. Previously, both states had neither confirmed nor denied the deployment of troops.

In addition to sending soldiers, North Korea continues to supply Russia with large quantities of ammunition and weapons, including short-range missiles, self-propelled howitzers, and rocket launchers, according to the South Korean General Staff.

RND/dpa