Trump Accuses Ukraine's Zelensky of Prolonging War with Russia

What Happened?

President Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday, against Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, after accusing him of prolonging peace negotiations with Russia.

In a lengthy post on Truth Social, Trump accused Zelensky of boasting on the front page of The Wall Street Journal and for saying that 'Ukraine will not legally recognize the occupation of Crimea.'

'This statement is very harmful to the Peace Negotiations with Russia in that Crimea was lost years ago,' said Trump. 'Nobody is asking Zelensky 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?'

Trump points to statements like this as the reasons behind a truce agreement becoming more complicated to resolve for both parties.

'The situation for Ukraine is dire — He can have Peace or, he can fight for another three years before losing the whole Country,' Trump added. ‘I have nothing to do with Russia, but have much to do with wanting to save, on average, five thousand Russian and Ukrainian soldiers a week, who are dying for no reason whatsoever.'

Despite these frustrations, Trump claims a deal is still very close to being done.

Why it Matters

The Trump administration recently warned that it will walk away from peace talks in a matter of days if no progress is made.

Trump had insisted that neither side is 'playing' him, after months of failed efforts to settle the conflict in Kyiv that he calls a 'killing field.'

There's been hesitation from Russia that has raised concerns for many as Ukraine signaled openness to a 30-day ceasefire.

Ukraine sounded the alarm after two Russian ballistic missiles ripped through and killed at least 34 people in Sumy on Palm Sunday.

The incident left at least 117 people wounded and was reportedly one of the deadliest attacks of the conflict this year.

Russia claimed its Sumy attack had targeted Ukrainian troops and accused Kyiv of hosting military meetings in civilian-heavy locations.

Zelensky urged Trump during an interview on CBS's 60 Minutes to visit Ukraine before any deal is struck with Putin to end the war.

He has also called for a global response regarding Russia's latest attack.

How it Affects You

Trump previously set a 100-day deadline to find a deal with both parties, after re-engaging with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this year.

Vice President, JD Vance, on Wednesday, called on Ukraine and Russia to accept a U.S.-led peace proposal or risk the U.S. backing out.

According to reports, U.S. special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is expected to visit Moscow this week to achieve this goal.

It's the latest effort to broker a deal that seems to have reached a point of no return.