Ukraine-Russia struggle newest: Zelensky defies Trump on Crimea after Putin military common killed in automotive bomb
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky has contradicted Donald Trump to again insist that the Crimean peninsula belongs to Kyiv, citing both the constitution of his country and international law.
The US president had said Crimea, which is occupied by Vladimir Putin’s forces, would stay with Russia.
The spat erupted after a senior Russian general was killed in a car bombing near Moscow.
Authorities identified the officer as Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik, a top general in the Russian military, and said a criminal case into the attack had been opened.
The Kremlin blamed Kyiv after an explosive device was placed in his car in Balashikha just outside Moscow.
Several high-ranking Russian military figures have been assassinated since the start of the war in Ukraine in operations blamed by Moscow on Kyiv.
Meanwhile in Moscow, Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff met Vladimir Putin for critical talks on peace, after the US president claimed they were “very close” to a deal.
A Kremlin spokesman said the talks had brought the US and Russia closer.
Kremlin says Putin-Witkoff talks brought US and Russia closer
President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff met President Vladimir Putin for three hours in Moscow to discuss the US plan to end the war, and the Kremlin said the two sides’ positions had moved closer.
Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov, who took part in the meeting, described it as constructive and very useful.
“This conversation allowed Russia and the United States to further bring their positions closer together, not only on Ukraine but also on a number of other international issues,” he said.
“As for the Ukrainian crisis itself, the discussion focused in particular on the possibility of resuming direct negotiations between representatives of the Russian Federation and Ukraine.”
Kyiv and US agreed rare earths outline last week
Kyiv and Washington have been working for months to finalise details on rare earths.
Eight days ago, Ukrainian Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent that was aimed at becoming a first step toward a broader joint economic partnership agreement.
She said the Kyiv Parliament and US Congress would have to approve the final text of the document.
Trump lays into Zelensky – again
Donald Trump has again slated Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky, this time blaming him for not having signed the agreement on rare earths with the US.
The US president wrote on social media: “Ukraine, headed by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has not signed the final papers on the very important Rare Earths Deal with the United States. It is at least three weeks late.
“Hopefully, it will be signed IMMEDIATELY.”
He said work on the Ukraine-Russia peace deal was going smoothly.
Crimea belongs to us by law, Zelensky insists
President Volodymyr Zelensky has again insisted the Crimean peninsula belongs to Ukraine, citing both the constitution of Ukraine and international law.
He spoke in defiance of US president Donald Trump, who said the territory, which is under Russian control, would remain with Moscow – suggesting that would be the case under a US-brokered peace deal.
“Crimea will stay with Russia. And Zelensky understands that, and everybody understands that it’s been with them for a long time,” Mr Trump told Time magazine.
But Mr Zelensky said: “Our position is unchanged: only the Ukrainian people have the right to decide which territories are Ukrainian.
“The constitution of Ukraine states that all temporarily occupied territories are temporarily occupied. They all belong to Ukraine, to the Ukrainian people.
“Ukraine will not legally recognise any temporarily occupied territories. I think this is an absolutely fair position.”
Zelensky may be forced to miss Pope’s funeral
Ukraine’s President Zelensky has reportedly said he might miss Pope Francis’s funeral in Rome tomorrow because of important military meetings.
Mr Zelensky, who had earlier said he would attend, said: “If I am not (there) in time, Ukraine will be represented at a proper level”, noting that Ukraine’s foreign minister and first lady will be there, the BBC reports.
The Ukrainian president said there were a “number of meetings” to be had over the Russian strike on Kyiv yesterday that killed 12 people.
“There are several closed questions about this strike and about Ukraine’s corresponding steps. I don’t know how long it will take. So if I have time, I will definitely be present (at the funeral),” Mr Zelensky said.
WATCH: Witkoff and Putin meet in Moscow to discuss Ukraine
What the killing of a Russian general in Moscow means for Trump’s plan for peace in Ukraine
The latest killing of a Russian general underscores the fact that Ukraine is still very much in the fight for its survival, world affairs editor Sam Kiley reports.
Territorial concessions on the table if Russia commits to full and unconditional ceasefire, says Zelensky – reports
President Zelensky has suggested that Ukraine would be willing to “discuss territorial issues” with Russia, but only on the condition of a “full and unconditional ceasefire”.
He said in a press conference: “A full and unconditional ceasefire opens up the possibility to discuss everything”, according to the BBC.
“What President Trump says is true, and I agree with him in that today we do not have enough weapons to return control over the Crimean peninsula”, he added.
Previously, Kyiv has rulled out territorial concessions in exchange for peace. Donald Trump said in an interview with Time magazine, published today: “Crimea will stay with Russia”.
Mapped: Territory Ukraine could lose as details of US peace deal proposal revealed
The document, seen and published by Reuters, described a “final offer” made to both sides, including the legal recognition by Washington of Russian control over Crimea.
Washington also proposed de facto US recognition of Russian control of the occupied eastern Ukrainian region of Luhansk and parts of Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Kherson, all of which lie on the frontline.
It is unclear where the lines of demarcation would be, and whether Washington is demanding that Ukraine cede all of the land currently occupied by Russia in the regions of Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Kherson.
Here is a map of Ukraine in April 2025 by my colleague Alex Croft.
Source: independent.co.uk
