Trump Claims Zelenskyy Could End Ukraine War 'Almost Immediately'

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has intensified pressure on Ukraine to agree to a settlement with Russia to end the ongoing war, suggesting that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has the power to stop the conflict “almost immediately.” Trump made the comments on his Truth Social platform a day before Zelenskyy’s scheduled visit to the White House, warning that in any peace deal under his approach, Ukraine would have to forgo reclaiming Crimea—occupied by Russia since 2014—and abandon its aspirations of joining NATO.

Trump emphasized that returning Crimea to Ukraine or permitting NATO membership would be non-negotiable, referring to how the crisis began under former President Barack Obama without a single shot being fired. “Some things never change,” Trump added, reinforcing his stance that Ukraine must make concessions.

Zelenskyy swiftly responded, criticizing the idea of compromising Ukrainian territory. He stressed that past concessions, including the loss of Crimea and parts of Donbas, only emboldened Russian President Vladimir Putin, enabling further aggression. Referring to the so-called “security guarantees” offered in 1994—which ultimately failed to prevent Russian invasion—Zelenskyy reiterated that such arrangements were ineffective and dangerous.

Zelenskyy insisted that true peace must be both reliable and lasting. He stated clearly that Ukraine should never have given up Crimea in the first place, just as Ukrainians refused to surrender key cities like Kyiv, Odesa, and Kharkiv after the full-scale Russian invasion began in 2022. Highlighting Ukraine’s resilience, he declared that Ukrainians are fighting not just for land, but for their sovereignty and independence.

Trump has floated the idea of a land-swap agreement with Moscow as part of a peace deal, but Zelenskyy has firmly rejected the notion of ceding any Ukrainian territory to Russia, describing such a move as surrendering to an occupier.

In an effort to rally support for Ukraine and push back against Trump’s stance, several European leaders are set to accompany Zelenskyy in Washington for Monday’s talks. The group includes European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and French President Emmanuel Macron. Their goal is to present a united European front and to emphasize that yielding to Russian aggression could lead to broader instability in the future.

Macron echoed this concern, warning that weakness in the face of Russian aggression would set a dangerous precedent and likely fuel future conflicts. He reinforced the importance of unity and resistance.

Despite Trump’s assertion that Ukraine will not be allowed into NATO, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff stated on Sunday that a significant diplomatic concession had been secured: Russian President Vladimir Putin had reportedly agreed to a U.S.-led security guarantee that mirrors NATO’s Article 5 mutual defense clause. This provision would mean that an attack on Ukraine could be considered an attack on all members of the alliance offering the guarantee.

However, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged caution. He noted that while some areas of agreement had been identified, a comprehensive peace deal remains a distant goal. “We’re not at the precipice of a peace agreement,” he said, indicating that major disagreements still exist and significant diplomatic work remains to be done.