Camilla Jessen
President Trump claims Russia has agreed to a peace deal and puts pressure on Ukraine’s Zelenskyy to accept terms.
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U.S. President Donald Trump announced that a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine is essentially ready — at least on the Russian side — and that the only thing missing is approval from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“I think Russia is ready. I think we have a deal with Russia,” Trump told reporters during a conversation in the Oval Office.
We need to negotiate with Zelensky. I thought Zelensky would be easier. It’s a little more difficult now, but that’s OK.
Trump insisted that he has no personal favorite in the conflict and that his primary concern is ending a war that he says is costing the United States “hundreds of billions” of dollars.
Zelenskyy Stands Firm on Crimea
The so-called “final offer” from the Trump administration — outlined in a one-page document previously handed to Kyiv — includes several controversial points that Kyiv has already rejected.
Chief among them is formal U.S. recognition of Crimea as Russian territory and de facto acceptance of Russian occupation across much of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions.
The plan also suggests that Ukraine abandon its NATO ambitions and agree to a joint U.S.-Ukraine project to develop natural resources.
One part of the Kharkiv region would be returned to Ukraine, and the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant would also be handed back — but managed by the U.S.
Before a scheduled meeting in London on the peace plan, Zelenskyy publicly reaffirmed Ukraine’s position: “Kyiv will never agree” to recognizing Crimea as Russian.
His firm rejection prompted a political ripple effect. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio canceled his trip to the talks, and the foreign ministers of France and Germany followed suit.
Trump: Zelenskyy Must Choose Between Peace or Prolonged War
Trump responded by criticizing Zelenskyy’s stance, saying that the Ukrainian leader’s refusal to compromise was standing in the way of ending the war.
We are very close to a deal, and a man who has ‘no cards to play’ must finally make a decision,” Trump said. “He can have peace or fight for three more years before he loses the whole country.
The White House later added that President Trump’s patience is “wearing thin,” with press secretary Karoline Leavitt stating that Zelenskyy “is moving in the wrong direction” and trying to negotiate “in the media,” which Trump finds unacceptable.
“The talks should be held behind closed doors,” she said.
Trump first hinted on April 18 that the negotiations were “reaching a climax” and warned that the U.S. might exit the process if no progress was made. Now, the tone is even sharper, with the administration making clear that Washington believes the ball is in Kyiv’s court.
Zelenskyy, however, remains unshaken in his position.
He continues to call for an unconditional ceasefire — not a territorial compromise — and insists that Ukraine will act within its Constitution, which prohibits the surrender of its land.