President Zelenskyy and President Trump prepare to meet for landmark deal. 2/27/25 (Photos supplied by Getty Images)
In 2022, Zelenskyy said that the "Russian war against Ukraine and against the entire free Europe began with Crimea and must end with Crimea — and its liberation," Axios reported. He reiterated this stance on Tuesday, shutting down the idea that Ukraine would recognize Russian control of Crimea.
"Ukraine will not legally recognize the occupation of Crimea," Zelenskyy said at a press conference here on Tuesday, according to the Wall Street Journal. "There’s nothing to talk about here. This is against our constitution."
Image depicts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy depicted with President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Fox News Digital image)
TRUMP INSISTS UKRAINE-RUSSIA PEACE DEAL IS CLOSE, BUT MISTRUST IN PUTIN LEAVES EXPERTS SKEPTICAL
Trump appeared to allude to the Oval Office meeting in his Truth Social post, calling Zelenskyy "the man with no cards to play." This echoed Trump’s remark during the tense February meeting in which he said that Zelenskyy didn’t "have the cards" to make major demands in peace talks.
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While Zelenskyy has made his demands clear, it remains uncertain what might persuade Putin to agree to a ceasefire. Although Trump administration officials have stated that they have had productive conversations with Putin, they have yet to get Russia to agree to a ceasefire proposal.
Earlier on Wednesday, Vice President JD Vance suggested that the U.S. was prepared to walk away from peace talks if Ukraine and Russia did not reach a deal soon.
Rachel Wolf is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and FOX Business.
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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-says-inflammatory-zelenskyy-statement-crimea-prolongs-war-russia