WASHINGON: US President Donald Trump said a deal to halt the Ukraine war was “very close” on Wednesday but hit out at Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky over his refusal to formally cede Crimea to Russia.
Trump’s comments came as Vice President JD Vance warned that the United States would “walk away” unless Russia and Ukraine agree on a peace deal, and as envoys from Washington, Kyiv and European nations gathered for downgraded talks in Britain.
US media has reported that Trump is ready to accept recognition of annexed land in Crimea as Russian territory, but Zelensky told journalists this week it was Ukrainian territory and recognising it as Russian “is against our constitution”.
“It’s inflammatory statements like Zelensky’s that make it so difficult to settle this War,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social, adding that Zelensky’s remarks will do nothing but prolong the ‘killing field'”.
He added: “We are very close to a Deal, but the man with ‘no cards to play’ should now, finally, GET IT DONE.”
Earlier, Vance told reporters in India that the US has “issued a very explicit proposal to both the Russians and the Ukrainians”.
“It’s time for them to either say ‘yes’, or for the United States to walk away from this process,” he added.
Vance said land swaps would be fundamental to any deal.
“That means the Ukrainians and the Russians are both going to have to give up some of the territory they currently own,” he added.
The reports said the proposal was first raised at a meeting with European nations in Paris last week.
But French President Emmanuel Macron’s office said on Wednesday that “Ukraine’s territorial integrity and European aspirations are very strong requirements for Europeans”.
Work for peace
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy had been due to lead a meeting of foreign ministers in London on Wednesday but the talks were downgraded to “official level” — a sign of the difficulties surrounding the negotiations.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that “it has not yet been possible to reconcile positions on any issues, which is why this meeting did not take place”.
US Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg attended, as did Macron’s diplomatic adviser Emmanuel Bonne.
Lammy met his Ukrainian counterpart Andriy Sybiga and Defence Minister Rustem Umerov. Zelensky aide Andriy Yermak also attended the London talks.
“Despite everything, we will work for peace,” Yermak wrote on Telegram.
The Ukrainian delegation met Kellogg, Kyiv confirmed.
US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff is to visit Moscow this week as attempts at a breakthrough intensify.
According to the Financial Times, President Vladimir Putin told Witkoff he was prepared to halt the war with Ukraine if Russia’s sovereignty over the Crimean Peninsula, annexed in 2014, was recognised.
Zelensky said Tuesday that his country would be ready for direct talks with Russia only after a ceasefire, though the Kremlin has said it cannot rush into a ceasefire deal.
Trump promised on the campaign trail to strike a deal between Moscow and Kyiv in 24 hours but has since failed to secure concessions from Putin to halt the Russia-Ukraine war.
Trump ‘frustrated’
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he had presented a US plan to end the war and discussed it with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov last week.
Both Rubio and Trump have warned since that the United States could walk away from peace talks unless it saw quick progress.
In response to the US ultimatums, a spokesperson for UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer told reporters “it has to be up to Ukraine to decide its future” and “we will never walk away from Ukraine”.
Rubio had said he would go to London if he thought his attendance could be useful.
But Lammy wrote on X late Tuesday that he had instead had a “productive call” with Rubio.
Trump proposed an unconditional ceasefire in March, the principle of which was accepted by Kyiv but rejected by Putin. – Agencies
