Trump Pushes Zelensky to Hand Over Crimea to End War
US President Donald Trump stated that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky could end the war with Russia "almost immediately" if he were willing to accept a peace deal that included handing over Crimea and abandoning his plans to join NATO. This statement came ahead of the Trump-Zelensky meeting at the White House on Monday (August 18, 2025), which will also be attended by European leaders.
Trump previously met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska and said there had been "positive progress" in peace talks. However, Zelensky rejected Putin's proposals, which included giving up parts of the Donetsk region. He stated that he would only agree to peace if Russia was willing to end the war it started, while also welcoming the U.S. offer of security guarantees.
The White House meeting is scheduled for 1:00 PM ET (17:00 GMT), followed by multilateral talks with European leaders two hours later. This will be the second meeting between Trump and Zelensky this year, following a tense and largely fruitless previous meeting. Trump even called Zelensky a "dictator," implying that Ukraine was partly responsible for the conflict that has been ongoing since 2022.
Market-wise, oil prices rose on Monday as concerns about Russian supply began to ease following the Trump-Putin meeting. While there has been no complete ceasefire, analysts said the situation in Ukraine is now "very fluid" and major developments could occur in the near future. Investors also noted that the talks did not result in secondary tariffs on China, a scenario the market had previously feared.
Key Points:
- Trump pushes Ukraine to accept Russia's peace terms: relinquish Crimea & withdraw from NATO membership
- Zelensky rejects Putin's offer, asks Russia to end the war
- Trump-Zelensky meeting takes place Monday, accompanied by European leaders
- Oil prices rise as risks to Russian supply begin to ease. (ayu)
Source: Newsmaker.id
