Trump says Zelenskyy is prolonging war in Ukraine by resisting calls to cede Crimea to Russia

KYIV Ukraine AP President Donald Trump on Wednesday lashed out at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying Zelenskyy is prolonging the killing field after he pushed back on ceding Crimea to Russia as part of a likely peace plan Ukraine s leader on Tuesday ruled out the idea of ceding territory to Russia in any deal before talks set for Wednesday in London among U S European and Ukrainian authorities There is nothing to talk about It is our land the land of the Ukrainian people Zelenskyy declared During similar talks last week in Paris U S representatives presented a proposal that included allowing Russia to keep control of occupied Ukrainian territory as part of a deal according to a European official familiar with the matter who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity Trump called Zelenkyy s pushback very harmful to talks Nobody is asking Zelenskyy to recognize Crimea as Russian Territory but if he wants Crimea why didn t they fight for it eleven years ago when it was handed over to Russia without a shot being fired he wrote on social media Trump added that inflammatory statements like Zelenskyy s are making it so tough to settle this War The situation for Ukraine is dire He can have Peace or he can fight for another three years before losing the whole Country Trump wrote Zelenskyy s message 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 definitively GET IT DONE Wednesday s meeting was pared back at the last minute while Vice President JD Vance mentioned negotiations are reaching a moment of truth We ve issued a very explicit proposal to both the Russians and the Ukrainians and it s time for them to either say yes or for the United States to walk away from this process Vance notified reporters during a visit to India He stated it was a very fair proposal that would freeze the territorial lines at certain level close to where they are this day with both sides having to give up certain territory they now hold He did not provide details A senior European official familiar with the ongoing talks involving the American gang reported a proposal that the U S says is final was initially presented last week in Paris where it was described as just ideas and that they could be changed When those ideas surfaced in media reports Ukrainian leaders were surprised to find that Washington portrayed them as final according to the official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity Zelenskyy declared Wednesday that Ukraine is ready for any format of negotiations that might bring a ceasefire and open the door to full peace negotiations as he mourned nine civilians killed when a Russian drone struck a bus earlier in the day We insist on an immediate complete and unconditional ceasefire Zelenskyy wrote on social media in accordance with a proposal he announced the United States tabled six weeks ago Ukraine and several Western European governments have accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of dragging his feet on that proposal as his army tries to capture more Ukrainian land Western analysts say Moscow is in no rush to conclude peace talks because it has battlefield momentum Doubts over negotiations U K Foreign Secretary David Lammy explained the talks in London to find an end to the more than three-year war would involve only lower-ranking personnel after the U S State Department revealed Tuesday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio was unable to attend because of a scheduling issue Rubio s abrupt cancellation raised doubts about the direction of negotiations He had indicated that Wednesday s meeting could be decisive in determining whether the Trump administration remains engaged Commenting on those attending the talks Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that as far as we understand they so far have failed to bring their positions closer on several issues He noted the Kremlin was still in consultations with American personnel but wouldn t publicly discuss details U S special envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to visit Moscow again later this week according to Russian representatives Even achieving a limited -day ceasefire has been beyond the reach of negotiators as both sides continue to attack each other along the -kilometer -mile front line and launch long-range strikes A Russian drone struck a bus carrying workers in Marganets in eastern Ukraine s Dnipropetrovsk region on Wednesday morning killing eight women and one man regional head Serhii Lysak wrote on social media More than people were injured he announced Lysak published photos of a bus with windows blown out and shards of glass mixed with blood spattered on its floor Ukrainian delegation arrives in London Trump has pushed for an end to the war and announced last week that negotiations were coming to a head That comment came after Rubio suggested that the U S might soon back away from negotiations if they don t progress Those still attending Wednesday s meeting include retired Lt Gen Keith Kellogg Trump s envoy for Ukraine and Russia Andrii Yermak the head of Ukraine s presidential office explained on social media that a delegation including him Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov had arrived in London for the talks despite the alterations The path to peace is not easy but Ukraine has been and remains committed to peaceful efforts Yermak declared Bureaucrats would discuss avenues to achieve a full and unconditional ceasefire as the first step toward a comprehensive settlement and the achievement of a just and lasting peace Several hours later Yermak stated that he Sybiha and Umerov met with national safeguard and foreign guidelines advisors from the countries participating in the coalition of the willing and emphasized our commitment to the peace efforts of U S President He asserted on social media that Russia continues to reject an unconditional ceasefire dragging out the process and trying to manipulate negotiations Trump frustrated with both sides Trump commented repeatedly during his ballot campaign last year that he would be able to end the war in hours upon taking office But he has expressed frustration with Zelenskyy and Putin Russia has effectively rejected a U S proposal for an immediate and full -day halt in the fighting by imposing far-reaching conditions Certain European allies are wary of the American proposal for Ukraine to exchange land for peace But an official declared there s also acknowledgment by chosen allies that Russia is firmly entrenched wholly or partially in five regions of Ukraine Crimea Luhansk Donetsk Zaporizhzhia and Kherson If the goal is to obtain a ceasefire directly it should be based on the line of contact as it is reported the senior French official who was not authorized to be publicly named and spoke on condition of anonymity according to French presidential agenda