Trump warns Zelensky to back his peace deal or lose ALL of Ukraine

Donald Trump last night launched a scathing attack on Volodymyr Zelensky after he rejected the terms of a Ukraine peace deal.

The US President accused him of ‘prolonging the “killing field”’ by refusing to give up territory.

And Mr Trump warned the Ukrainian president he can ‘have peace, or he can fight for another three years before losing the whole country’. The White House tried to turn the screw yesterday, with vice president JD Vance telling Kyiv to surrender land or the US would walk away.

But Mr Zelensky is refusing to countenance any Russian claim to annexed Crimea, or hand over a fifth of the country to the Kremlin, as per the US-dictated deal put forward. 

Planned high-level talks in London were scuppered yesterday when two members of Mr Trump’s top team suddenly pulled out.

Peace envoy Steve Witkoff and secretary of state Marco Rubio were due to sit down with UK, European and Ukrainian officials, hosted by Foreign Secretary David Lammy.

But in a humiliating move, they withdrew at the 11th hour, sending Ukraine special envoy Keith Kellogg instead, as Kyiv refused to buckle to American ultimatums.

Instead, Mr Witkoff was said to be on his way to Moscow last night for a meeting with Vladimir Putin tomorrow.

US attempts to strongarm Ukraine into concessions have also placed strain on the ‘special relationship’ with Britain.

Downing Street insisted that ‘substantive’ talks were still possible. But privately ministers are furious about the US stance – and alarmed that the White House is poised to sell out Ukraine’s interests to Putin.

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One minister told the Mail: ‘The US are f***ing up everything – on Ukraine, on tariffs, on everything.’

Last night former defence secretary Sir Ben Wallace told the Mail: ‘The next war will happen not because of Ukraine’s actions but because of Donald Trump and his red-neck team of Walter Mittys, media pundits and real estate salesmen who fail to understand the world we live in.

‘Every point on Trump’s latest “deal” strengthens the Kremlin and weakens the West. Every point emboldens Iran and China. 

'The consequences for ordinary Americans is great. If Trump continues this way the great country of the United States will find itself isolated, friendless and broke.’

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said Britain will ‘never walk away from Ukraine’.

Under terms put forward by the US, Ukraine would give up captured land and be barred from joining Nato.

Meanwhile Russia would receive billions of pounds in frozen assets and economic sanctions imposed following its 2022 illegal invasion would be relaxed.

The United States would recognise Crimea – illegally invaded in 2014 – as the Kremlin’s, while Washington would take control of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia power station and feed electricity to Russia.

Mr Trump had earmarked today as the day to sign a deal guaranteeing $1billion from exports of Ukraine’s rare minerals as pay back for US military support.

Regarding conceding defeat over Crimea, Mr Zelensky told the Wall Street Journal: ‘There’s nothing to discuss – this lies outside our constitution. This is our territory, the land of the Ukrainian people. This will not happen.’

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Last night Mr Trump ranted on his Truth Social platform: ‘Zelensky is boasting that Ukraine will not legally recognise the occupation of Crimea. He has nothing to boast about.

‘Crimea was lost years ago under the auspices of President Barack Hussein Obama, and is not even a point of discussion. 

'Nobody is asking Zelensky to recognize Crimea as Russian Territory but, if he wants Crimea, why didn’t they fight for it 11 years ago when it was handed over to Russia without a shot being fired? Inflammatory statements like that make it so difficult to settle this war.

‘He can have peace or he can fight for another three years before losing the whole country. The statement by Zelensky will do nothing but prolong the “killing field” and nobody wants that. 

'We are very close to a deal but the man with “no cards to play” should, finally, GET IT DONE. I look forward to being able to help Ukraine, and Russia get out of this complete and total MESS.’

Earlier Mr Vance told reporters on a trip to India: ‘We’ve issued a very explicit proposal to both the Russians and the Ukrainians, and it is time for them to either say yes or for the United States to walk away from the process.’

Conceding sovereignty of the Crimea peninsula was one of seven clauses in a peace plan put together by Mr Witkoff following a five-hour meeting with Putin in St Petersburg last week. 

Russia would also keep four provinces in eastern Ukraine – Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia – making the millions of Ukrainians living there Russian citizens overnight.

Last night, Mr Zelensky posted a conciliatory message on X, writing: ‘Emotions have run high today. But it is good that five countries met to bring peace closer. Ukraine, the USA, the UK, France and Germany...We hope that it is exactly such joint work that will lead to lasting peace.’