Trump Pressures Zelenskyy Ahead of High-Stakes Washington Talks with European Leaders
U.S. President Donald Trump has piled pressure on Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy ahead of crucial talks in Washington, suggesting that Kyiv could “end the war almost immediately” if it chose to.
In a post on his Truth Social platform late Sunday, Trump declared that Ukraine would not be allowed to join NATO and that Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, would not be returned to Kyiv as part of any peace negotiations.
“President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight,” Trump wrote. “No getting back Obama-given Crimea (12 years ago, without a shot being fired!) and no going into NATO by Ukraine. Some things never change!!!”
The remarks came just hours before Trump was due to meet leaders of Britain, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the EU, and NATO at the White House on Monday.
His stance is expected to unsettle European allies, who fear he may push Kyiv toward a settlement heavily tilted in Moscow’s favor.
A minute after his Ukraine post, Trump struck a different tone, describing it as a “great honor” to host so many European leaders at the White House at once.
Still, diplomats worry that Zelenskyy could face another public rebuke like his February visit, when both Trump and Vice President JD Vance accused him of ingratitude and told him bluntly: “You’re not in a good position. You don’t have the cards right now.”
Arriving in Washington on Sunday, Zelenskyy tried to project optimism, stressing Ukraine’s partnership with the West. “I am grateful to the president of the United States for the invitation,” he said on Telegram. “We all equally want to end this war swiftly and reliably. I hope that our shared strength with America and our European friends will compel Russia to real peace.”
According to the White House, Trump is scheduled to meet Zelenskyy first in the Oval Office at 1:15 p.m. EDT (1715 GMT), followed by talks with European leaders in the East Room at 3:00 p.m.
The meeting comes at a delicate moment for Kyiv, still grappling with the fallout from the Trump–Putin summit in Alaska on Friday, where discussions further clouded Ukraine’s long-term security prospects.
