Trump calls on Putin to ceasefire and reach a deal on Ukraine and believes Zelensky is ready to give up Crimea
US President Donald Trump on Sunday urged his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to ceasefire and reach an agreement on Ukraine.
“I want him to stop shooting… Sit down and sign the deal,” Trump said on the tarmac at Morristown Airport in Bedminster, New Jersey.
Trump said on Sunday that he believes his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, is ready to give up Crimea, in stark contrast to the Ukrainian leader’s statements regarding the peninsula, which was annexed by Russia.
Asked if he believed Zelensky was ready to “give up” the peninsula, which Russia took in 2014, Trump replied, “I think so”.
On the other hand, Russia affirmed that its claim to five Ukrainian regions, including Crimea, is a basic condition for any peace talks.
“International recognition of Russia’s ownership of Crimea, Sevastopol, the Donetsk People’s Republic, the Lugansk People’s Republic, and the Kherson and Zaporizhia regions is essential,” according to media statement by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
