Egypt Daily News – U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky “has no cards to play,” accusing him of prolonging the war through “provocative statements” while the United States works on negotiations to end the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
On Tuesday, Zelensky stated that Ukraine would not “legally recognize the occupation of Crimea,” a condition that, according to a source familiar with the framework, had been included in a proposal by the Trump administration to end the conflict.
Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social: “Zelensky’s statement today will do nothing but prolong the ‘killing field,’ and nobody wants that! We are very close to reaching a deal, but the man with no cards to play needs to get it done now.”
In a contentious meeting in the Oval Office this past February, Trump reportedly told Zelensky: “You have no cards right now. With us, you’ll start getting cards.”
Trump added in his post: “That statement is very damaging to the peace negotiations with Russia, as Crimea was lost years ago under President Barack Hussein Obama, and it’s no longer even a topic of discussion. No one is asking Zelensky to recognize Crimea as Russian territory, but if he wanted it back, why didn’t they fight for it 11 years ago when it was handed over to Russia without a single shot fired?”
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio walked out of a major meeting in London on Wednesday aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war, and Vice President J.D. Vance has threatened to withdraw from negotiations if both sides don’t agree to the latest proposal.
Trump said Wednesday: “Zelensky’s inflammatory remarks are what make it hard to find a resolution to this war. He has nothing to show off—Ukraine’s situation is dire. He can either secure peace or fight for another three years before losing the entire country.”
