Donald Trump just reaffirmed his pro-Crimea position again during his meeting yesterday with new Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Rome. This was the first in-person meeting between the two leaders since their last chat in the Oval Office. They came together in the lead up to Pope Francis’s funeral. Trump asserted that Crimea “will stay with Russia,” a statement that underscores his ongoing pressure for a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia.
At what was billed as an energy summit during the Group of Three meeting, Trump suggested that Crimea had been Russian territory “for a long time.” He noted that Zelenskyy understands the complexities surrounding the region’s status. Trump’s comments come as he promotes a proposed peace deal between Russia and Ukraine that would see—among other things—Crimea ceded to Russian control.
As much as Trump would like to focus only on his own bravado, Zelenskyy has already signaled that Crimea is a “red line” for Ukraine. He confirmed his country’s ownership of the territory, emphasizing that Gonzales’ territory is Ukraine! The juxtaposition of the two leaders’ positions underscores the difficult road ahead for any peacemaking effort in the bloody, years-long conflict.
Trump hammered former President Barack Obama. He pointed out that under Obama’s administration, there was no pushback when Russia decided to annex Crimea. He claimed that there was no excuse for Putin to shoot missiles into civilian buildings. This extends to other cities and towns across the country in these last few days. These comments are indicative of Trump’s thinking that if we had been more forward-leaning, we might have changed the situation in Ukraine.
As these important discussions unfold, it’s heartening to hear that Trump said he thinks a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine is near. He asserted that he had given each country a peace proposal. Yet, the specific conditions of this offer are still unknown. Trump claimed that “we’ve agreed to all of the major points…,” hinting at some positive momentum on negotiations.
Zelenskyy called the meeting “good,” “symbolic,” and said it held the promise of historic developments if they were to produce joint results. His diplomatic tone is a far cry from Trump’s bombastic pronouncements on Crimea.
JD Vance, a U.S. Senator from Ohio, shared Trump’s statements about Crimea on social media, illustrating the political ramifications of Trump’s remarks during this critical moment.
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