Washington (Rajeev Sharma): The US President Donald Trump has made it clear what he expects from Ukraine’s leadership ahead of a major meeting in Washington, concessions to Moscow.
In a late-night social media post, Trump argued that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky could “end the war with Russia almost immediately” if he agreed to two key conditions: formally accepting Russia’s annexation of Crimea and ruling out Ukraine’s NATO membership.
“Some things never change. No NATO for Ukraine and Crimea was lost long ago,” Trump wrote, while suggesting Kyiv faced a choice between compromise or prolonged conflict.
The remarks come just hours before Zelensky, joined by a powerful bloc of European leaders, is scheduled to meet Trump at the White House. The gathering, one of the largest of its kind, is expected to focus on Trump’s vision for a settlement to the 30-month-long war.
Trump’s stance, however, mirrors Russian President Vladimir Putin’s own demands — raising concerns among European allies that Kyiv could be pressed into an unfavorable deal. According to diplomats, the visiting leaders want to hear directly from Trump about what security guarantees or support the U.S. is prepared to provide if Ukraine is asked to make such concessions.
The European contingent includes French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Calling Monday a “big day,” Trump boasted that he had “never had so many European leaders at one time” under one roof.
The White House session is now set to be a pivotal moment — with Ukraine’s future security architecture, the fate of Crimea, and NATO expansion all hanging in the balance.
