Crimea 'Will Stay With Russia': Trump Pressures Ukraine To Concede, Rules Out NATO Inclusion

US President Donald Trump stated that Crimea will remain with Russia after criticising Zelenskyy for prolonging the war by refusing to negotiate with Putin.

By : ABP Live News | Updated at : 25 Apr 2025 09:26 PM (IST)

File Photo of US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Source : PTI

In a recent interview with Time magazine, United States President Donald Trump stated that Crimea “will stay with Russia,” marking another instance of his pressure on Ukraine to make concessions in order to end the ongoing war. Trump, who has been a vocal critic of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s stance on the conflict, suggested that the Ukrainian leader understands the situation and the historical ties between Russia and Crimea.

“Zelenskyy understands that,” Trump said, referring to the Ukrainian president, “and everybody understands that it’s been with them for a long time.”

The interview, conducted on Tuesday, saw Trump accuse Zelenskyy of prolonging the war by resisting negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to Trump, Crimea, a strategically vital peninsula on the Black Sea, has been under Russian control since 2014, during President Barack Obama’s tenure. This was before the full-scale invasion by Russia that began in 2022.

Trump further elaborated on his stance, saying, “Will they be able to get it back? They’ve had their Russians. They’ve had their submarines there for long before any period that we’re talking about, for many years. The people speak largely Russian in Crimea.” He continued, “But this was given by Obama. This wasn’t given by Trump.”

Trump On Ukraine's Inclusion In NATO

The US President remarked that he does not envision Ukraine joining NATO, the US-led military alliance, in the future and stressed that Kyiv's aspiration to join the alliance was one of the reasons for the outbreak of war.

“I don’t think they’ll ever be able to join NATO,” Trump said in the interview.

“I think that’s been — from day one, I think that’s been, that’s I think what caused the war to start was when they started talking about joining NATO. If that weren’t brought up, there would have been a much better chance that it wouldn’t have started,” Trump added.

Russian Bombarding In Kyiv Draws Rare Trump Rebuke As War Escalates

Meanwhile, the war continues to escalate, with Russia’s bombardment of Ukraine intensifying. On Friday, Ukrainian officials reported that a drone strike hit an apartment building in Pavlohrad, located in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, killing three and injuring ten others, news agency AP reported. This attack occurred a day after Trump had rebuked Russian President Vladimir Putin for a deadly missile and drone strike on Kyiv.

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia launched 103 Shahed and decoy drones overnight, targeting five Ukrainian regions. Authorities in Sumy and Kharkiv reported damage to civilian infrastructure but no casualties.

In light of these developments, Trump’s frustration is growing. Senior US officials have indicated that the administration may soon cease its efforts to mediate the war if no progress is made in negotiations. Such a move could mean a halt to the crucial US military aid being provided to Ukraine.

The escalation reached new heights this week as Russia launched an hours-long assault on Kyiv, resulting in the death of at least 12 people and injuring 87, marking the deadliest attack on the Ukrainian capital since July. This prompted a rare public rebuke from Trump, who took to his Truth Social platform to express his dissatisfaction with the attack.

“I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying,” Trump wrote. “Let’s get the Peace Deal DONE!”

Trump’s efforts to broker a peace deal have so far failed to yield significant results. His envoy, Steve Witkoff, met with Putin in Moscow on Friday for the second time this month, marking their fourth meeting since February. A short video released by the Kremlin showed Putin greeting Witkoff with a handshake and responding in rare English: “Fine, just fine, thank you.”

Zelenskyy Prolonging Killing Field By Refusing To Surrender Russia-Occupied Crimea: Trump

In the midst of ongoing peace efforts, Trump continued to press Zelenskyy on the issue of Crimea, accusing the Ukrainian president of prolonging the conflict by refusing to concede the region to Russia. “Zelenskyy is prolonging the killing field by refusing to surrender the Russia-occupied Crimea Peninsula as part of a possible deal,” Trump said. However, Zelenskyy has made it clear on multiple occasions that recognising Crimea as part of Russia is a “red line” for Ukraine.

Both Trump and Zelenskyy are expected to arrive in Rome on Friday for the funeral of Pope Francis, which will take place in St. Peter’s Square on Saturday. It remains uncertain if the two leaders will meet separately during the visit.

Also read
Trump Claims Xi Jinping ‘Called’ Him About Tariffs As China Denies Negotiations With US

Published at : 25 Apr 2025 06:54 PM (IST)
Tags :
Vladimir Putin Donald Trump US Russia Ukraine War Volodymyr Zelenskyy Crimea Ukraine War Ukraine RUSSIA Donald Trump.

Follow Breaking News on ABP Live for more latest stories and trending topics. Watch breaking news and top headlines online on ABP News LIVE TV
View More
Sponsored Links by Taboola