Trump slams Zelenskyy for keeping the ‘killing field’ going in Ukraine

President Trump ripped into Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for saying Ukraine will not accept a deal that has Russia keeping Crimea.

Mr. Trump said Mr. Zelenskyy’s comments are “very harmful to the Peace Negotiations with Russia in that Crimea was lost years ago under the auspices of President Barack Hussein Obama and is not even a point of discussion.”

“Nobody is asking Zelenskyy to recognize Crimea as Russian Territory but, if he wants Crimea, why didn’t they fight for it eleven years ago when it was handed over to Russia without a shot being fired?” he wrote Wednesday on social media. “The area also houses, for many years before ‘the Obama handover,’ major Russian submarine bases. It’s inflammatory statements like Zelenskyy’s that makes it so difficult to settle this War.”

Mr. Zelenskyy said Tuesday that his country “will not legally recognize the occupation of Crimea.”

Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.

Mr. Trump said the Ukrainian president has “nothing to boast about” and called the war situation in Ukraine “dire.”

“He can have Peace or he can fight for another three years before losing the whole Country. I have nothing to do with Russia, but have much to do with wanting to save, on average, five thousand Russian and Ukrainian soldiers a week, who are dying for no reason whatsoever,” he said.

Mr. Trump said Mr. Zelenskyy’s comment just continues the “killing field.”

“We are very close to a Deal, but the man with ’no cards to play’ should now, finally, GET IT DONE. I look forward to being able to help Ukraine, and Russia, get out of this Complete and Total MESS, that would have never started if I were President!” he said.

Mr. Zelenskyy drew the red line on Crimea shortly before officials from Ukraine, the U.S., Britain and Europe were set to meet Wednesday in London to discuss the war.

However, the meeting was downgraded from high-level talks after Secretary of State Marco Rubio pulled out due to “logistical issues.”

Vice President J.D. Vance told reporters Wednesday in India that the U.S. has been generous enough with its time.

“We’ve issued a very explicit proposal to both the Russians and the Ukrainians, and it’s time for them to either say yes or for the United States to walk away from this process,” he said. “We have engaged in an extraordinary amount of diplomacy, of on-the-ground work [and] we’ve really tried to understand things from the perspective of both the Ukrainians and the Russians.”

Mr. Trump said during his 2024 presidential campaign that his goal was to end the Russia–Ukraine war and that it could happen on Day 1. However, as Mr. Trump approaches his 100th day in office, a peace deal remains elusive.

On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged at a meeting of the country’s Military-Industrial Commission that his forces are running out of weapons in Ukraine.

Mr. Putin stated that Russia’s ground forces are eagerly waiting for the delivery of recently increased production, especially drones.