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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated that he cannot go against his country's constitution regarding Crimea, after U.S. President Donald Trump accused him of harming the peace process with Russia over the issue. Zelensky was speaking at a press conference in South Africa during his visit there on Thursday and emphasized that he remained open to everything Ukraine's partners suggested to bring about peace but not to contravene the constitution. Why it Matters Recognition of Crimea as Russian territory was part of a peace plan proposed by the Trump Administration, but it is a red line for Ukraine, a point made publicly by Zelensky.
Ukraine's constitution refers to Crimea as "an inseparable constituent part of Ukraine." Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in a 2014 invasion. The Crimean Peninsula, situated on the Black Sea, is strategically significant because it houses Russia's only warm-water port.
Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine was a major moment in a long-running chain of actions intended to stop Kyiv's turn west, particularly its ambition to join NATO. Trump is threatening to walk away from the peace process unless there is quick progress towards a deal, and said he has found Zelensky harder to deal with than Russia. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky listens as unseen South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa speaks at a joint press conference during an official visit by Zelensky to South Africa, at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on April… Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky listens as unseen South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa speaks at a joint press conference during an official visit by Zelensky to South Africa, at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on April 24, 2024.
More PHILL MAGAKOE/AFP via Getty Images What to Know The Kremlin had said it is aligned with Trump's recent comments on Crimea that the Black Sea peninsula is lost to Ukraine and its ownership is not a point of discussion in the peace negotiations. Trump had hit out at Zelensky after he said Ukraine "will not legally recognize the occupation of Crimea. There's nothing to talk about here."
"This statement is very harmful to the Peace Negotiations with Russia in that Crimea was lost years ago under the auspices of President Barack Hussein Obama, and is not even a point of discussion," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "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?" But Trump also fired a rare piece of direct criticism at Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday morning, following deadly strikes on Kyiv overnight in an attack Zelensky described as one of Russia's "most outrageous."
"I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP!
5000 soldiers a week are dying. Lets get the Peace Deal DONE!" Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.
What People Are Saying Poland's President Andrzej Duda told Euronews: "It has to be a compromise. I mean, de facto, this peace should, in my personal opinion, come down to the fact that neither side will be able to say that it won this war, because each side in some sense will have to step down. Ukraine will also have to step down in some sense, because that's what will probably happen.
To what extent? It is difficult for me to answer at this stage." Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, said at her press briefing that Zelensky wants "to torpedo the emerging peace process at any cost."
Ukraine's President Zelensky posted on X, formerly Twitter: "In Ukraine, we insist on an immediate, full, and unconditional ceasefire. That was the proposal put forward by the United States on March 11 of this year—and it was absolutely reasonable. "This is absolutely possible—but only if Russia agrees and stops the killing…Ukraine has repeatedly said that it does not rule out any format that can lead to a ceasefire and, ultimately, real peace."
What's Next Trump remains optimistic that a deal can happen, telling reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday that he thinks "we have a deal with both" Russia and Ukraine, despite the tensions with Zelensky. The first major step to peace would be a ceasefire. Update 04/24/25 12:19 p.m.
ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
