Watch: Trump says he’s thinking Zelensky is ready to give up on Crimea
This week, the Russian-Ukurein war will be “very important” as it determines whether Washington is a “effort that we want to continue to be involved,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.
Rubio told us the media that Donald Trump hasn’t put any new penalties on Russia because he wants diplomacy to end the war.
It comes after Trump held a brief meeting with Ukrainian leader Voldimi Zelensky at the Vatican on Saturday before Pope Francis’ funeral.
Updated reporters on Sunday, Trump said Zelensky is willing to abandon Crimea to Russia as part of the peace deal.
Speaking to NBC’s Meet the Press program, Rubio said: “There are reasons to be optimistic, but there are reasons to be realistic.
“We’re close, but we’re not close enough. Through this process, it’s about making a decision. Do both sides really want peace and how close they are after 90 days of effort here… that’s what we’re trying to decide this week.”
Addressing the prospect of imposing a penalty on Vladimir Putin, Rubio said: “The moment you start something like that, you’re walking away from it.”
Over the weekend, Trump questioned whether the Russian president wanted to “stop the war” against Ukraine.
“Maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just bashing me and makes me think we have to deal with it differently through “banks” or “secondary sanctions”!!!” Trump wrote about the society of truth.
His post came shortly after he held a personal meeting with Zelensky in Italy. The White House described it as “productive argument.”
Asked on Sunday if the Ukrainian president, which was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014, is ready to give in to control of the Southern Peninsula, Trump replied, “I think so.”
Ukrainian Presidential Press
President Trump and Zelensky held talks at the Vatican on Saturday before Pope Francis’ funeral
Trump also said Zelensky appears to have “settled down” and could have been a reference to a very public conflict between the two White House presidents in February.
Ukraine has repeatedly refused to make territorial concessions, emphasizing that the issue of land should only be discussed after a ceasefire has been agreed.
Neither Zelensky nor Putin publicly responded to Trump’s latest comments.
Elsewhere on Sunday, German defense minister Boris Pistorius warned Ukraine not to agree to a deal that would wipe out territorial concessions in return for a ceasefire.
He told German public broadcaster ARD that Kiev should not “go to the latest proposals by the US president.”
The German minister said he knew that Ukraine might have to let go of some territory to secure an armistice.
“But they certainly don’t go far or shouldn’t go far as the latest proposal by the US President.
“Ukraine might have gotten what was included in that proposal a year ago. It’s similar to surrender. I can’t identify value-added,” Pistorius said.
Trump said last week that “most of the main points are [of the deal] “.” The report suggests that Ukraine will be asked to abandon most of the seized parts of Russia, including Crimea.
The BBC has not seen accurate details of the latest US plans.
On Friday, Reuters reported it had seen proposals from the US that included US legal recognition of Russia’s illegal annexation from the US and a de facto recognition of Russian rule over other occupied territories, including all Luhansk in the eastern part of the country.
Reuters say they also saw protesters from Europe and Ukraine. It reportedly says that once the ceasefire comes into effect, they will only discuss the occupation of Ukrainian territory.
The US plan also excludes Ukraine’s NATO military alliance membership, and believes that the British French lead is looking at a “coalition of will” to provide security assurances after the ceasefire is implemented without US involvement.
Meanwhile, Europe wants to provide the US with a “robust” guarantee in the form of cast iron NATO-style commitment to coming to Ukrainian aid if attacked.
The US is also reportedly proposing to control the nuclear power plant in Zaporidia, which is currently occupied by Russia, which would provide electricity to both Russia and Ukraine. The counterplan does not mention empowering Russia.
In an interview with Time Magazine this week, Trump once again accused Kyiv of starting the war, citing his ambition to join NATO.
The US president also said, “Crimea will remain in Russia.”
The US warns that if there is no progress, it will leave negotiations.
Russia began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and Moscow currently controls almost 20% of Ukrainian territory.
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