Trump hammers Zelensky for Crimea red line in peace talks

President Trump on Wednesday lashed out at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, saying he was harming peace talks with Russia after the Ukrainian leader said Kyiv would never recognize Russia’s occupation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula. 

Trump, in a post on his site Truth Social, rejected Zelensky’s red line on Crimea being excluded from negotiations with Russia and said the territory was “lost years ago” and “and is not even a point of discussion.”

Trump is reportedly offering U.S. recognition of Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea as part of a peace plan, and that was separately delivered to Ukrainian and Russian officials last week.

Trump has said Ukraine and Russia have a short time to accept a deal or the U.S. would move on from its role as a peace negotiator — although it's unclear if the U.S. would end its support for Ukraine. 

Zelensky said Tuesday in a press conference in Kyiv, “Ukraine will not legally recognize the occupation of Crimea. … There’s nothing to talk about here. This is against our constitution.”

Trump erupted on social media over the Ukrainian leader's remarks, disparaging the Ukrainian military as failing to mount a defense against Russia’s invasion and annexation, blaming the Obama administration for overseeing Russia’s militarization of the Crimean Peninsula, and accusing Zelensky of being an impediment to peace. 

Russia’s 2014 invasion and annexation of Crimea occurred during a period of intense tumult in Ukraine. Mass, popular protests in Kyiv succeeded in ousting the pro-Russian Ukrainian president who had sought to turn the country away from Europe. Moscow launched an invasion in Crimea and eastern parts of Ukraine, taking advantage of the instability. 

The Obama administration refused to recognize Russia's control of the territory, and in 2018, the first Trump administration reaffirmed that position, calling for Russia to end its occupation. 

Trump, in his Truth Social post on Wednesday, said, “Nobody is asking Zelenskyy to recognize Crimea as Russian Territory,” but said Zelensky’s “inflammatory statements … makes it so difficult to settle this war.” 

Trump’s outburst signaled a potential new low in U.S.-Ukrainian relations, where the president has favored Russian President Vladimir Putin in negotiations by holding off pressure points and offering concessions, while increasing pressure on Kyiv. 

In March, Trump paused U.S. military assistance and intelligence sharing to Ukraine for nearly two weeks following an explosive Oval Office meeting where Zelensky challenged Trump and Vice President Vance over Putin’s commitment to diplomacy. 

Trump resumed U.S. assistance following Kyiv’s unilateral acceptance of a U.S.-proposed partial ceasefire, which Russia rejected.

Trump and Zelensky are expected to see each other on Saturday at the funeral for Pope Francis, marking the first face-to-face since the Oval Office meeting in February.