Trump says Zelensky could end war ‘almost immediately,’ rules out return of Crimea or Ukraine joining NATO

Ahead of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to Washington, U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that Zelensky could end the war with Russia “almost immediately.”

“President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight,” Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social. “Remember how it started. 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!!!”

Trump’s post appeared just as Zelensky arrived in Washington for talks with him.

The U.S. president also wrote that Monday would be a “big day” at the White House. “Never had so many European Leaders at one time. My great honor to host them!!!” he added.

Talks between Zelensky and Trump are scheduled for Monday, August 18 at the White House. Several European leaders will also attend, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

Zelensky, in a statement posted shortly after his arrival in Washington, stressed the importance of achieving a “lasting” peace. “Not like it was years ago,” he wrote, “when Ukraine was forced to give up Crimea and part of our East — part of Donbas — and Putin simply used it as a springboard for a new attack. Or when Ukraine was given so called ‘security guarantees’ in 1994, but they didn’t work.”

He said that Ukrainian forces are currently making gains in the Donetsk and Sumy regions and expressed confidence that Ukraine, with U.S. and European support, would “effectively guarantee security.”

“Russia must end this war, which it itself started,” Zelensky said. “And I hope that our joint strength with America, with our European friends, will force Russia into a real peace.”

During his meeting with Trump in Alaska, Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly demanded, among other things, the complete withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as well as recognition of Crimea as Russian territory.