Zelenskyy’s stance prolonging war, expanding the 'killing field' – President Donald Trump

Zelenskyy’s stance prolonging war, expanding the 'killing field' – President Donald Trump
[Kyiv, Ukraine] – According to an AP report, U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday sharply criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump said that by refusing to cede Crimea to Russia, Zelenskyy is prolonging the war and that his position is “further expanding the killing field.”

On Tuesday, Zelenskyy said, “This land is ours, it is the land of the Ukrainian people. There is nothing to negotiate.” The following day, peace talks between Ukraine, the United States, and European officials were scheduled to be held in London.

According to sources, during talks last week in Paris, the U.S. presented a proposal that would allow Russia to retain control over some of the Ukrainian territories it has occupied. Although initially presented as “ideas,” the United States later described it as a “final” proposal—something that reportedly surprised Ukrainian officials.

On social media, Trump said, “Someone like Zelenskyy, who has no cards to play, should sign the deal now.” He questioned, “If Crimea is so important, why didn’t they fight for it back in 2014 when Russia took it without a single shot being fired?”

Significantly, on Wednesday, a Russian drone struck a bus in the city of Marhanets in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, killing nine civilians and injuring more than 40 others.

In this context, U.S. Vice President JD Vance said, “This is now a critical moment. We have offered a clear and fair proposal, and now is the time to say yes or no.”

From the Ukrainian side, Andriy Yermak, head of the Presidential Office, said, “We are calling for a full and unconditional ceasefire, which could be the first step toward peace.”

Meanwhile, Russian spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, “As far as we understand, there are still many unresolved differences.”

Although Trump has expressed interest in ending the war, his message was clear—if Ukraine remains firm in its current position, the United States may walk away from the negotiating table.