Donald Trump has said he believes Ukraine is willing to US President Donald Trump has said he thinks Ukraine would be willing to give up Crimea as part of a peace deal with Russia. Trump said he believed Volodymyr Zelensky was willing to cede control of the Eastern European peninsula which was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014 to ensure peace in the region. Responding to reporters who asked whether Zelensky was ready to "give up" the territory, the US leader replied: "Oh, I think so".

His Ukrainian counterpart has adamantly refused such proposals in the past, countering that Crimea belongs to Ukraine and that he doesn't have the authority to legally recognise Vladimir Putin's occupation. The comment comes hours after a historic meeting between the two leaders at Pope Francis's funeral on Saturday, when they engaged in one-on-one talks that the White House described as "very productive". Get the latest news from around the world straight to your phone Join us on WhatsApp Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners.

You can check out at any time. Read our Privacy Policy The two world leaders met inside the Vatican on Saturday Trump also described the tête-à-tête as "a beautiful meeting" in "the nicest office I've ever seen" and praised the Ukrainian president for "doing a good job [and] working hard". He said Crimea had been discussed "very briefly" and added that Zelensky had seemed "calmer", in an apparent reference to the public bust-up between the two presidents over the Eastern European conflict in February.

The weekend marked a shift in his tone towards Russia, suggesting on social media that Putin might "[not] want to stop the war" and could just be "tapping me along". He doubled down on the new rhetoric while addressing journalists last night, calling on Russia to "stop shooting, sit down and sign a deal". Ukraine has previously refused proposals to give up Crimea Trending