Trump pressures Zelenskyy to abandon NATO bid, Crimea claim before Washington talks

US Leader, Donald Trump has increased pressure on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ahead of high-stakes talks in Washington, suggesting that Ukraine could “end the war almost immediately” if it abandoned its pursuit of NATO membership and efforts to reclaim Crimea.

Posting on his Truth Social account, Trump stated:
“President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight. No getting back Obama-given Crimea (12 years ago, without a shot being fired!), and no going into NATO by Ukraine. Some things never change!!!”

The comments came just hours before Zelenskyy’s scheduled White House meeting with Trump, followed by a larger summit with European leaders including those from Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Finland, the EU, and NATO. Diplomats are concerned that Trump may pressure Kyiv into accepting concessions favorable to Moscow.

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The European delegation is expected to reaffirm support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and oppose any peace deal involving territorial concessions. They are also seeking clarity on what kind of security guarantees Washington might extend to Ukraine outside of NATO.

Arriving in Washington late Sunday, Zelenskyy struck a tone of unity and resilience:
“I am grateful to the president of the United States for the invitation. We all equally want to end this war swiftly and reliably. I hope that our shared strength with America and with our European friends will compel Russia to real peace,” he wrote on Telegram and X.

The White House confirmed Trump will meet Zelenskyy first in the Oval Office before hosting European leaders in the East Room.

The talks follow Trump’s summit with Vladimir Putin in Alaska last week, widely seen as a win for Moscow. Trump, however, insisted that the meeting had made “big progress” on Russia.

Meanwhile, Russia’s envoy to international organizations in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, said any future peace deal must include security guarantees not only for Kyiv but also for Moscow.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, ahead of the Washington summit, praised Trump’s efforts to pursue peace but stressed that no settlement could be reached without Ukraine’s full involvement. He also urged tougher sanctions on Russia.

Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, added that Putin had, for the first time, agreed to allow U.S. and European protection for Ukraine as part of a deal — a structure outside NATO but modeled on the alliance’s Article 5 collective defense principle.