KYIV, Ukraine (AP) 鈥 President Donald Trump on Wednesday lashed out at Ukraine's president, saying Volodymyr Zelenskyy is prolonging the 鈥渒illing field鈥 after pushing back on ceding Crimea to Russia as part of a potential peace plan.
Zelenskyy on Tuesday ruled out ceding territory to Russia in any deal before talks set for Wednesday in London among U.S., European and Ukrainian officials. 鈥淭here is nothing to talk about. It is our land, the land of the Ukrainian people,鈥 Zelenskyy said.
During , U.S. officials presented a proposal that included allowing Russia to keep control of occupied Ukrainian territory as part of a deal, according to a European official familiar with the matter who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Trump called Zelenkyy's pushback 鈥渧ery harmful鈥 to talks.
鈥淣obody is asking Zelenskyy to recognize Crimea as Russian Territory but, if he wants Crimea, why didn鈥檛 they fight for it eleven years ago when it was handed over to Russia without a shot being fired?鈥 he wrote on social media.
after sending troops to overrun it. Weeks later, Moscow-backed separatists launched an uprising in eastern Ukraine, battling Kyiv鈥檚 forces.
Trump also asserted they were close to a deal and that Ukraine's leader can have peace or "he can fight for another three years before losing the whole Country," adding that Zelenskyy's statement 鈥渨ill do nothing but prolong the 鈥榢illing field,鈥 and nobody wants that!"
鈥楢 very fair proposal鈥
Wednesday's meeting was pared back at the last minute, while Vice President JD Vance said negotiations are reaching a moment of truth.
鈥淲e鈥檝e issued a very explicit proposal to both the Russians and the Ukrainians, and it鈥檚 time for them to either say 鈥榶es鈥 or for the United States to walk away from this process," Vance told reporters during a visit to India.
He said it was 鈥渁 very fair proposal鈥 that would 鈥渇reeze the territorial lines at some level close to where they are today,鈥 with both sides having to give up some territory they currently hold. He did not provide details.
A senior European official familiar with the ongoing talks involving the American team said a proposal the United States calls 鈥渇inal鈥 was initially presented last week in Paris, where it was described as 鈥渏ust ideas鈥 鈥 and that they could be changed.
When those 鈥渋deas鈥 surfaced in media reports, Ukrainian officials were surprised to find that Washington portrayed them as final, according to the official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Zelenskyy said Wednesday that Ukraine is ready for any format of negotiations that might bring a ceasefire and open the door to full peace negotiations, as he mourned nine civilians killed when a Russian drone struck a bus earlier in the day.
鈥淲e insist on an immediate, complete and unconditional ceasefire,鈥 Zelenskyy wrote on social media, in accordance with a proposal he said the U.S. tabled six weeks ago.
Ukraine and some Western European governments have accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of dragging his feet on that proposal as his army tries to capture more Ukrainian land. Western analysts say Moscow is in no rush to conclude peace talks because it has battlefield momentum.
Doubts over negotiations
U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the talks in London to find an end to the would involve only lower-ranking officials, after the U.S. State Department said Tuesday that was unable to attend because of a scheduling issue.
Rubio's abrupt cancellation raised doubts about the direction of negotiations. He had indicated that Wednesday鈥檚 meeting could be decisive in determining whether the Trump administration remains engaged.
Commenting on those attending the talks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that 鈥渁s far as we understand, they so far have failed to bring their positions closer on some issues.鈥 He said the Kremlin was still in consultations with American officials but wouldn鈥檛 publicly discuss details.
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to visit Moscow again later this week, according to Russian officials.
Even achieving a limited, , as both sides continue to attack each other along the 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line and launch long-range strikes.
A Russian drone struck a bus carrying workers in Marganets, in eastern Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region on Wednesday morning, killing eight women and one man, regional head Serhii Lysak wrote on social media. More than 40 people were injured, he said.
Lysak published photos of a bus with windows blown out and shards of glass mixed with blood spattered on its floor.
A Ukrainian delegation in London
Trump has pushed for an end to the war and said last week that negotiations were 鈥渃oming to a head.鈥 That comment came after Rubio suggested the U.S. might soon back away from negotiations if they don鈥檛 progress.
Those still attending Wednesday's meeting include retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, Trump鈥檚 envoy for Ukraine and Russia.
Andrii Yermak, the head of Ukraine鈥檚 presidential office, said on social media that a delegation including him, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov had arrived in London for the talks despite the alterations.
鈥淭he path to peace is not easy, but Ukraine has been and remains committed to peaceful efforts,鈥 Yermak said. Officials would 鈥渄iscuss ways to achieve a full and unconditional ceasefire as the first step toward a comprehensive settlement and the achievement of a just and lasting peace."
Several hours later, Yermak said that he, Sybiha and Umerov met with national security and foreign policy advisors from the countries 鈥減articipating in the coalition of the willing鈥 and 鈥渆mphasized our commitment鈥 to the U.S. president's peace efforts.
He asserted on social media that 鈥淩ussia continues to reject an unconditional ceasefire, dragging out the process and trying to manipulate negotiations.鈥
Trump frustrated with both sides
Trump during his election campaign last year that he would be able to end the war 鈥渋n 24 hours鈥 upon taking office. But he has with Zelenskyy and Putin. Russia has effectively rejected a U.S. proposal for an immediate and full 30-day halt in the fighting by imposing far-reaching conditions.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters later on Thursday that Trump鈥檚 鈥渇rustration is growing and he needs to see this thing come to an end.鈥
鈥淲hat he is asking is for people to come to the negotiating table, recognizing that this has been a brutal war for far too long,鈥 Leavitt said. 鈥淎nd in order to make a good deal, both sides have to walk away a little bit unhappy, and unfortunately, President Zelenskyy has been trying to litigate this peace negotiation in the press, and that鈥檚 unacceptable to the president.鈥
Some European allies are wary of the American proposal for Ukraine to exchange land for peace. But an official said there鈥檚 also acknowledgment by some allies that Russia is firmly entrenched wholly or partially in five regions of Ukraine: Crimea, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.
If the goal is to obtain a ceasefire immediately, 鈥渋t should be based on the line of contact as it is,鈥 said the senior French official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with French presidential policy.
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Novikov reported from Kyiv and Madhani from Washington. Hanna Arhirova in Kyiv, Ukraine and Angela Charlton in Paris contributed.
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