Washington - Saba:
US President Donald Trump expressed his belief on Monday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is ready to abandon demands for the return of Crimea.
"Giving up Crimea? I think so. Crimea was 12 years ago. That was under [former US President Barack] Obama. They gave it up without hesitation. So don't talk to me about Crimea. Talk to Obama," Trump said in press statements. Commenting on the meeting with Zelensky at the Vatican, Trump said that the issue of Crimea was only discussed "briefly".
He continued, "I think the meeting went well, and we'll see what happens next. I see him (Zelensky) calmer. I think he understands the picture."
Trump explained that Zelensky asked him for "more weapons, but he's been saying that for three years. We'll see what happens. I want to see what happens with Russia."
Earlier on Sunday, Trump had described, via Truth Social, the demands to return Crimea and other territories to Ukraine to end the conflict as "ridiculous".
Last Wednesday, Trump criticized Volodymyr Zelensky's "inflammatory" remarks regarding Kyiv's refusal to recognize Crimea as part of Russia, saying they harm peace negotiations and could prolong the conflict.
Previously, Trump confirmed that the peace agreement currently under discussion includes recognizing Crimea as part of Russia.
The Trump administration is mediating to end the crisis between Russia and Ukraine. In this context, the Saudi city of Jeddah hosted talks between delegations from the United States and Ukraine last March. During these talks, Ukraine expressed its willingness to accept a US proposal for an immediate and temporary ceasefire for 30 days, which could be extended by mutual agreement between the parties, provided Russia accepts and simultaneously implements the agreement.
For his part, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced his acceptance of a US proposal for a cessation of hostilities in Ukraine. Putin emphasized that this proposal is only acceptable if it leads to long-term peace and eliminates the root causes of the crisis.
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