Washington provoked by Zelensky’s reaction to Trump peace proposal

(MENAFN) Washington is reportedly frustrated with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky after he publicly rejected elements of a proposed U.S. peace plan aimed at ending the conflict with Russia, according to The Washington Post. The plan, backed by President Donald Trump’s administration, was discussed during high-level talks in Paris last week and included the possibility of recognizing Crimea as Russian territory in exchange for a peace settlement.

Zelensky dismissed the idea outright during remarks on Tuesday, stating, “Crimea is our territory, the territory of the people of Ukraine. We have nothing to talk about on this topic – it is outside our Constitution.”

Citing an anonymous official, The Post reported that Zelensky’s stance has caused “anger in Washington,” where officials had hoped Kiev would be more receptive to discussions involving potential territorial compromises. Ukraine, however, insists on securing a complete ceasefire before addressing political or territorial matters.

A planned follow-up meeting in London involving U.S. and European officials was downgraded after Secretary of State Marco Rubio chose not to attend. Top diplomats from France and Germany also skipped the event, signaling waning momentum behind the initiative.

Ukraine’s delegation, led by Zelensky’s chief of staff Andrey Yermak, is instead focusing on pushing for an “unconditional and full ceasefire” in discussions with Western partners.

While Rubio remains hopeful that more constructive discussions will occur during a future visit to London, senior U.S. officials have warned they may halt their mediation efforts if either side continues to resist compromise.

Meanwhile, the UK and France have signaled support for limited territorial concessions by Ukraine as part of a broader peace deal—provided that Western security guarantees are included.
However, Russia has firmly rejected any scenario that involves NATO troops in Ukraine, an idea reportedly backed by Paris and London.

Despite Trump’s intentions to reduce U.S. involvement, European allies are urging Washington to stay engaged in the peace process and maintain support for Ukraine.

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