President Donald Trump accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of sabotaging the latest U.S.-backed peace proposal for ending the war with Russia. Trump, in a scathing series of remarks, claimed that Zelenskyy has “no cards to play” after the Ukrainian leader rejected a peace framework presented as the U.S.’s “final offer.”
The proposed deal, revealed last week, included American recognition of Crimea as Russian territory and a guarantee that Ukraine would never join NATO. Zelenskyy dismissed the plan on Wednesday, citing constitutional barriers, reports Axios.
“Ukraine will not legally recognize the occupation of Crimea,” Zelenskyy told reporters. “There is nothing to talk about. It is against our constitution.” Ukraine’s constitution also affirms the country’s commitment to pursuing NATO membership.
Despite that, Trump pushed back on Zelenskyy’s reasoning, claiming that the Ukrainian constitution does not require the U.S. to recognize Crimea as Russian territory. In a lengthy post on Truth Social, Trump blasted Zelenskyy’s rejection, saying the move was “very harmful to the Peace Negotiations with Russia.”
“Ukraine was not actually fighting for Crimea and that it was lost years ago,” Trump argued. “It’s inflammatory statements like Zelenskyy’s that makes it so difficult to settle this War. He has nothing to boast about! The situation for Ukraine is dire — He can have Peace or, he can fight for another three years before losing the whole Country,” Trump continued.
Trump emphasized that his goal was to save lives, stating, “I have nothing to do with Russia, but have much to do with wanting to save, on average, five thousand Russian and Ukrainian soldiers a week, who are dying for no reason whatsoever.”
He added, “The statement made by Zelenskyy today 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 now, finally, GET IT DONE.”
U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance backed the plan earlier on Wednesday, describing it as a way to “freeze” the conflict along current front lines. Vance urged both Kyiv and Moscow to “either say yes or for the U.S. to walk away.”
Still, any notion of a deal being imminent appears premature. Zelenskyy’s outright rejection of the U.S. offer, coupled with the absence of top American officials at scheduled peace talks in London, has cast doubt over progress. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly canceled his participation in the talks when it became clear that Ukraine wanted to revisit Trump’s earlier 30-day ceasefire plan rather than the new framework.
A source close to the Ukrainian government told Axios that Trump’s latest proposal was seen in Kyiv as “heavily biased toward Russia,” offering clear gains for Moscow while leaving Ukraine with only vague assurances. Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly indicated willingness to freeze the conflict along current battle lines, but he continues to oppose key elements of the U.S. framework, including the deployment of peacekeepers on Ukrainian territory. European diplomats remain skeptical of Putin’s intentions.
In London, Andriy Yermak, Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, met with senior diplomats from the U.K., France, and Germany to discuss the U.S. proposal. The United States did not attend. After the meeting, Yermak reiterated Ukraine’s commitment to peace efforts but accused Moscow of obstructing progress.
“Russia continues to reject an unconditional ceasefire, dragging out the process and trying to manipulate negotiations,” he said.
Yermak also met separately with Trump’s envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg. In that meeting, he reaffirmed Kyiv’s stance: no concessions on sovereignty or territorial integrity, and that a ceasefire must come first. A summary of their conversation was posted to Yermak’s official X account.
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to meet with President Putin on Friday, according to a U.S. official who spoke with Axios.
Of course Zelenskyy doesn’t want peace, he thinks he’s invincible because he’s backed by the Global Elites, who want this war because it’s profitable and destroying and creating death and chaos in both countries… which satisfies their bloodlust!