U.S. President Donald Trump criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Wednesday over his recent remarks rejecting Russia’s occupation of Crimea, describing the statement as provocative and a potential obstacle to achieving peace with Moscow.
In a post on social media, Trump said, “This statement is very harmful to the Peace Negotiations with Russia.” He added that Crimea had been lost long ago and was “not even a point of discussion.”
Zelenskiy, speaking on Tuesday, reaffirmed Ukraine’s position that it would never recognize Russia’s control over Crimea, stating, “There’s nothing to talk about here. This is against our constitution.”
Responding on Truth Social, Trump questioned why Ukraine had not fought for Crimea when it was annexed over a decade ago without resistance. “Nobody is asking Zelenskiy to recognize Crimea as Russian territory, but if he really wanted it back, why didn’t they defend it when it was taken?”
Trump went on to say that his focus was on ending the bloodshed in Ukraine and claimed that a peace agreement was within reach. He blamed Zelenskiy’s remarks for making diplomacy more difficult.
“It’s inflammatory statements like Zelenskiy’s that make it so difficult to bring this war to a close,” Trump wrote, reiterating a tone similar to their tense public exchange in the Oval Office back in March. “He has nothing to boast about.”
