WASHINGTON/LONDON/PARIS. In a renewed clash between Washington and Kyiv, U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy butted heads once again over efforts to end the ongoing war in Ukraine, with Trump warning that American involvement in peace negotiations may soon come to an end.
The tension came to a head during a series of high-stakes talks in London this week, where U.S., Ukrainian, and European officials gathered in pursuit of a diplomatic resolution to the war that began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Vice President JD Vance, speaking from India, stated that the time had come for Russia and Ukraine to either accept a U.S.-brokered peace proposal or risk the U.S. withdrawing from the negotiation process altogether. “The only way to really stop the killing is for the armies to both put down their weapons, to freeze this thing,” Vance said. He emphasized that the U.S. plan seeks to freeze current territorial lines and initiate a “long-term diplomatic settlement.”
According to a former Western official familiar with the proposal, it includes recognizing Russia’s annexation of Crimea, a key sticking point for Ukraine. Zelenskiy, who has long maintained that Ukraine will never cede any part of its territory, reaffirmed this stance on Tuesday. “There’s nothing to talk about here. This is against our constitution,” he declared.
The Ukrainian president’s uncompromising position drew a sharp rebuke from Trump, who said such statements “make peace harder to achieve.” In a post on Truth Social, Trump insisted that Crimea was lost long ago and “is not even a point of discussion.”
Trump has disrupted long-standing U.S. policy toward the war since assuming office in January, shifting focus from applying pressure on Russia to urging Kyiv to pursue a ceasefire. He has repeatedly stated that he could end the war within 24 hours of returning to the White House, a claim that has raised eyebrows among allies and critics alike.
Despite the friction, Zelenskiy remained cautiously optimistic, writing on X (formerly Twitter) that while the London discussions were “marked by high emotions,” he hoped “future joint work will lead to peace.” He reaffirmed Ukraine’s commitment to its constitution and shared a 2018 Crimea Declaration signed by then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, which stated: “The United States rejects Russia’s attempted annexation of Crimea and pledges to maintain this policy until Ukraine’s territorial integrity is restored.”
Trump, however, remained adamant that a deal was close. “We’re very close to a deal for peace,” he claimed to reporters, calling the London talks “pretty well” despite the tension. “We’ve got to get two people, two strong people, two smart people, to agree. And as soon as they agree, the killing will stop.”
Further complicating the diplomatic push, Secretary of State Marco Rubio canceled his trip to the London talks at the last minute, resulting in the scrapping of a broader meeting that would have included foreign ministers from Britain, France, Germany, and Ukraine. The cancellation underscored growing rifts among Western allies about how to end the war.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said Trump’s “patience is running very thin” and expressed frustration with Zelenskiy’s approach, claiming he “seems to be moving in the wrong direction.”
Trump’s Ukraine envoy, Steve Witkoff, has proposed concessions that go beyond Crimea. According to several sources, his recommendations include recognizing Russian control over approximately 20% of Ukrainian territory, blocking Ukraine’s future NATO membership, and lifting Western sanctions on Russia.
On X, another Trump envoy, Keith Kellogg, voiced optimism about the London talks, saying: “It’s time to move forward on President Trump’s UKR-RU war directive: stop the killing, achieve peace, and put America First.”
Witkoff is expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin again on Friday, marking his fourth meeting with the Kremlin leader to discuss possible terms for ending the war.
As Trump pushes for a swift resolution, European allies have been scrambling to support Kyiv while trying to stay aligned with Washington. Britain, France, and Germany issued a joint statement after the London summit highlighted the balancing act. It read: “All parties reiterated strong support for Trump’s commitment to stopping the killing and achieving a just and lasting peace,” adding that “significant progress was made on reaching a common position on next steps.”
Further talks are expected in the coming weeks as all sides grapple with whether a compromise is still possible or if the U.S. is indeed prepared to walk away.
Edgaroo Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
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