Trump Condemns Zelenskyy as Ukrainian Leader Stands Firm Against Land Concessions

April 23, 2025 TruthUSA

Zelenskyy, on April 22, reiterated his opposition to recognizing Moscow’s sovereignty claims over land that Russian forces have taken from Ukraine.

U.S. President Donald Trump criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on April 23, after the Ukrainian leader stated his country’s refusal to legally acknowledge Russian control over Crimea.

The U.S. government recently proposed a solution to end the ongoing Russia–Ukraine war.

Details of the proposal have not been confirmed by the White House, but Vice President JD Vance suggested that the plan would halt the fighting along current territorial boundaries.

This would essentially require Ukraine to relinquish some of the territory it has lost to Russia since 2014.

During a press conference on April 22, Zelenskyy reiterated Ukraine’s stance of not legally recognizing Russia’s claims to any territory seized from Ukraine since 2014, including the Crimean peninsula.

Russian forces initially seized Crimea in 2014.

In the midst of turmoil within Ukrainian society, Russian-friendly Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych fled the country due to pressure from a major democratic mass protest movement in Europe.

Since invading Ukraine in 2022, Russian forces have continued to exert control over other regions of Ukraine.

Zelenskyy opposed the idea of giving up territory, stating: “There’s nothing to discuss. This goes against our constitution.”

On April 23, Trump took to his Truth Social platform to accuse the Ukrainian leader of hindering peace negotiations with his recent remarks.

“No one is requesting Zelenskyy to acknowledge Crimea as Russian territory, but if he desires Crimea, why didn’t they fight for it 11 years ago when it was transferred to Russia without a single shot being fired?” Trump wrote.

The U.S. government has been working to broker a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine for weeks.

At times, members of the Trump administration have criticized calls for Ukraine to reclaim all the lost territory since 2014 as impractical.

“It’s statements like Zelenskyy’s that make it incredibly challenging to resolve this conflict. He has nothing to be proud of!” Trump stated on his Truth Social post.

“The situation in Ukraine is critical—He can choose Peace or, he can fight for another three years before losing the entire Country.”

A meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy on Feb. 28 at the White House escalated into arguments, as Zelenskyy requested more U.S. assistance and expressed doubts about reaching a compromise with Moscow.

In March, the U.S. government proposed a 30-day cease-fire. Ukraine supported the proposal. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin showed interest in the plan but fell short of wholeheartedly backing it.

The U.S. government later suggested a more limited 30-day cease-fire, aimed at preventing Ukrainian and Russian forces from further attacking specific energy targets.

Enforcing this moratorium has proven to be challenging, as both Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of continuing assaults on the energy sector.

Last week, Trump cautioned that he would withdraw from mediating a cease-fire if he did not see progress soon.

This is an ongoing story and will be updated with additional information.

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