Donald Trump sharply criticized Volodymyr Zelensky’s stance on the status of the occupied Crimea, asserting that Ukraine had already lost it “many years ago
" They exchanged, in silence and through no less significant statements, their positions regarding the historical and legal aspects of the peninsula's settlement, which echo in the context of current negotiations with Russia. The former president and one of the loudest critics of the current US administration, Donald Trump, made a prepared statement via the social network Truth Social, accusing the Ukrainian leader of harming the peace process by his recent position of non-recognition of Crimea’s annexation. According to him, Zelensky’s declaration of legal non-recognition of the occupation is a "weakening of Ukraine’s diplomatic position" and "the biggest mistake," as, in Trump’s view, Crimea was effectively lost many years ago during Barack Obama’s presidency, and it should no longer be a subject of discussions about the future. Trump emphasized that none of the Ukrainian leaders have asked for him to recognize Crimea as Russian territory, adding that when Ukraine had the opportunity to fight for this territory, why didn’t it do so 11 years ago, when the peninsula was still handed over to Russia without the use of armed force? He stated that, prior to the annexation, key bases of Russian submarines and other strategic infrastructure were already located there, making the situation even more complicated. Donald Trump underscored that such statements are criticized by the international community and complicate the search for compromise solutions within multilateral negotiations. In his opinion, Zelensky’s “provocative and incorrect” positions only escalate tensions and do not contribute to a swift resolution of the conflict. “Ukraine is currently in a critical state: on the brink of losing — or it must seek peace, or continue fighting for another three years, risking losing its independence,” Trump noted. The former president pointed out that Ukraine and Russia are “very close to an agreement,” and that it is Zelensky, in his opinion, who should accept the proposed compromise model, as he, according to Trump, is “a person without cards to play” in this situation and is missing the opportunity to end the conflict on conditions favorable to Ukraine. Earlier, it was reported that Donald Trump’s administration in Paris provided the Ukrainian side with a one-page document containing the “final proposal” for peace settlement, which included, among other things, the possibility of recognizing Moscow’s control over Crimea and easing sanctions in the context of future agreements. It is worth recalling that prior to this, Zelensky assured the world community that Kyiv does not recognize the occupation of the peninsula and emphasized that Crimea remains Ukrainian territory according to international law, despite Russia’s prolonged annexation. However, it seems that these statements are now facing opposing positions and strong diplomatic statements from Washington and other international actors. Only time will tell what role the personal view of the former US president will play in this complex game and how much influence he will have on the further development of events in the highlighted conflict.