The Ukrainian leader has reportedly frustrated the White House with his public dismissal of the US roadmap towards peace with Russia
US officials are angered by Vladimir Zelensky’s public dismissal of an American proposal to make territorial concessions to Russia in exchange for a peace deal in the Ukraine conflict, according to the Washington Post.
In public comments on Tuesday, Zelensky dismissed options that the administration of US President Donald Trump reportedly presented at high-level discussions in Paris last Thursday, which they believe could facilitate a peace agreement. One such proposal reportedly involved formal recognition of Crimea as Russian territory.
”[Crimea] is our territory, the territory of the people of Ukraine. We have nothing to talk about on this topic – it is outside our Constitution,” Zelensky stated.
According to the Post, citing an anonymous official briefed on the situation, there is “anger in Washington over [Kiev’s] reluctance to accept proposals to cede territory to Russia,” and that Ukraine prefers “to discuss a complete ceasefire first and everything else later.”
A follow-up meeting to the Paris talks between European and US officials had been scheduled for London on Wednesday, although it was abruptly downgraded when US Secretary of State Marco Rubio opted not to attend. Foreign ministers from European NATO members – including France and Germany – who were also due to gather in London followed Rubio’s lead and skipped the event.
Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andrey Yermak, who heads the Ukrainian delegation, stated that he and Ukrainian defense and foreign ministers would “discuss ways to achieve a full and unconditional ceasefire” with Western officials.
Rubio had previously expressed hope that “substantive and good technical meetings” in London would pave the way for his rescheduled visit to the British capital “in the coming months.” Senior US officials have warned they will abandon efforts to negotiate a compromise truce between Ukraine and Russia if either side attempts to obstruct their initiatives.
The EU and the UK are committed to continuing military support for Ukraine and are urging the US not to distance itself from the crisis, contrary to Trump’s announced intention. British and French leaders are reportedly willing to support territorial concessions by Ukraine, provided Western security guarantees are offered in return. Moscow has made it clear that it will not accept the presence of troops from NATO countries in Ukraine, a proposal championed by Paris and London.
