Zelenskyy pushes back after Trump claims Ukraine could end war “almost immediately”

Ukrainian president set to meet Trump on August 18

A late-night social media post from Donald Trump has prompted a measured but pointed reply from Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

On Friday, August 15, Trump sat down with Russian president Vladimir Putin in Alaska for what was described as informal peace talks aimed at halting the ongoing war in Ukraine. Although no concrete agreement was reached, Trump later claimed the meeting had produced “progress.”

Zelenskyy, who was not part of those discussions, has since flown to Washington for his own meeting with Trump scheduled for Sunday, August 18.

In anticipation of that face-to-face, Trump posted on Truth Social outlining what he sees as the two conditions for bringing the war to a swift close.

“President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight,” Trump wrote. He added that Ukraine should abandon its bid to join NATO and accept that Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, is lost.

Trump’s comments drew immediate attention, as the fate of Crimea has long been one of the most sensitive issues in the conflict. Russia seized the peninsula a decade ago, sparking global condemnation. The 2022 full-scale invasion escalated the war further, with Kyiv repeatedly affirming its goal of joining NATO as a safeguard against future Russian aggression.

Not long after Trump’s post, Zelenskyy appeared to indirectly respond on X (formerly Twitter).

“I have already arrived in Washington, tomorrow I am meeting with President Trump,” Zelenskyy wrote. “Tomorrow we are also speaking with European leaders. I am grateful to @POTUS for the invitation.”

He continued: “We all share the will to end this war quickly, but also reliably. Peace must be permanent—not like in years past, when Ukraine was forced to give up Crimea and parts of Donbas, which Russia only used to launch new attacks.”

Zelenskyy pointed to broken international assurances from 1994, when Kyiv surrendered its nuclear arsenal in exchange for “security guarantees” that ultimately failed to protect its sovereignty.

“Crimea should not have been given up then,” he said, “just as Ukrainians did not give up Kyiv, Odesa, or Kharkiv after 2022.”

The Ukrainian president also highlighted recent military advances in the Donetsk and Sumy regions, stressing that his forces were still making gains.

“I am confident that Ukraine will defend itself, that we will secure real guarantees, and that our people will always be grateful to President Trump, to America, and to every partner and ally for their support,” Zelenskyy said.

But he was firm on where the responsibility lies: “Russia must end this war, which it started. And I believe our united strength with America and Europe will push Russia toward a true and lasting peace.”