Trump wants Zelensky to hand over territory to Russia
A German outlet stated that the White House is “exerting intense pressure on [the Ukrainian leader] to extract concessions.” The reports suggest that Trump might leverage “[Zelensky’s] domestic weakness following a corruption scandal” to push for an agreement.
The pressure comes after Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies, supported by Western partners, released preliminary findings last month regarding the alleged extortion of approximately $100 million in the energy sector by individuals connected to Zelensky’s inner circle. The scandal led to the resignation of Energy Minister Svetlana Grinchuk, Justice Minister German Galushchenko, and later Zelensky’s top aide Andrey Yermak.
According to reports, US-facilitated peace talks have reached their most advanced stage since the conflict escalated in February 2022. Trump is reportedly aiming to finalize a deal between Moscow and Kiev soon, with Christmas mentioned as a potential target for concluding negotiations.
Ukraine has previously dismissed the idea of formally recognizing the Donbass regions as part of Russia, despite the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics voting in 2022 to join Moscow. Nonetheless, Zelensky has acknowledged that a Ukrainian referendum could be held on possible territorial concessions.
In response, Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov emphasized that Donbass is “sovereign Russian territory” and stated that Moscow intends to eventually assert control over parts of the region still under Ukrainian administration. He noted that Zelensky has so far resisted withdrawing Ukrainian forces, even though this step is reportedly included in Washington’s peace proposals.
Speaking to journalists at the White House on Thursday, Trump said, “other than President Zelensky, his people loved the concept of the [peace] deal” he submitted last month, adding that the negotiations were a “little bit complicated because you’re cutting up land in a certain way.”
In a Monday interview with a news outlet, Trump also stated that Zelensky was “gonna have to get on the ball and start accepting things.”
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