US President Donald Trump declared on Sunday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky- whom he will host later today at the White House- could “end” the war with Russia “almost immediately,” while ruling out any chance that Ukraine would regain control of Crimea or join NATO.
“The president of Ukraine, Zelensky, can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue the war. Remember how it started. There is no chance that Crimea, which was given away by Obama (12 years ago, without a shot being fired!), will ever be reclaimed, and there will be NO NATO MEMBERSHIP for Ukraine. Some things never change,” Trump posted on Truth Social, adding three exclamation points and writing the phrase “NATO MEMBERSHIP” entirely in capital letters, in his usual style.
Trump’s Crimea stance comes just hours before his scheduled meeting with Zelensky at the White House, a summit widely expected to focus on the future of US support for Ukraine amid the ongoing Russian invasion. By dismissing Ukraine’s claims to Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, and rejecting the prospect of NATO membership, Trump has once again signalled a position sharply at odds with Kyiv’s long-term strategic goals.
Also read: Five key points: When Donald meets Vladimir
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