Trump and Zelensky seek common ground amid Crimea tensions
After a meeting at the Vatican, Donald Trump speculated that Volodymyr Zelensky might be willing to relinquish Crimea in exchange for lasting peace. However, he also suggested that Vladimir Putin may be continuing the war under pretenses, potentially misleading the American president. "We've reached a point where Washington is beginning to see the reality," said retired Col. Piotr Lewandowski.
The meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky occurred before Pope Francis's funeral. Both leaders described the discussion as very productive. Zelensky called the meeting symbolic and potentially historic.
Zelensky shared his thoughts on Telegram, saying, "A good meeting. We managed to discuss a lot one-on-one. We hope for a result from all the things that were said. Protection of the lives of our people. A complete and unconditional ceasefire. A reliable and lasting peace that will prevent a recurrence of war."
Following the meeting, the American president threatened additional sanctions on Russia in a social media post. "There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days. It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through "Banking" or "Secondary Sanctions?" Too many people are dying!!!" Trump wrote on the Truth Social portal.
On Sunday, Trump told journalists that during his talks with Zelensky, they briefly addressed the issue of Crimea. Trump reiterated that Russia's seizure of the peninsula happened during Barack Obama’s administration. When asked if Zelensky is ready to give up Crimea, Trump replied that he "thinks so."
Interestingly, before the Vatican meeting, Trump gave an interview to "The Atlantic," where he mentioned considering clear support for Ukraine, though this doesn't necessarily mean siding with Zelensky. "I've had a hard time with Zelensky. You saw that over here when he was sitting right in that chair, when he just couldn't get it," Trump said, referring to a public disagreement in the White House.
According to former Polish ambassador to Kyiv, Jan Piekło, Trump and Zelensky do not like each other and struggle to get along. "In July 2019, Donald Trump asked newly elected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate Hunter Biden, Joe Biden's son, who was on the board of the Ukrainian company Burisma. Trump wanted to prove Biden's involvement in corruption," stated Piekło. "Zelensky did not comply with Trump’s request at the time, and the American president holds grudges," he added.
However, Piekło suggests that the private meeting between Trump and Zelensky at the Vatican could be significant. "It sends a strong message. Both leaders knew the meeting could be key to resolving contentious issues. It's worth noting that there was no representative from Moscow at the funeral ceremonies, just an envoy from Rus' Cyril. This could indicate Russia downplaying the events. Importantly, after the weekend, Trump's rhetoric shifted to criticize Putin, and he didn't rule out imposing sanctions, reopening the possibility of rearming Ukraine," Piekło said.
"The White House won’t be fooled"
Meanwhile, retired Col. Piotr Lewandowski points out the naivety in Trump's policy. "We didn’t know whether to laugh or cry when Trump said that Putin respects him and wouldn't deceive him. He didn’t respect Obama or Biden, but respects me, Trump. If Russian policy is based on this, we face particular challenges in ending the war," Lewandowski said, drawing on his experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Lewandowski emphasized that Russia underestimated Washington. "The White House won't be fooled. The Trump administration won't allow itself to be manipulated so openly. We've reached a point where Washington is starting to recognize reality. Trump no longer has the same team he had during his first term. Now, he surrounds himself with people who share plans over Signal rather than deliver quality, but even they are adjusting their perspectives," assessed the former military officer.
According to Piekło, if Zelensky agreed to give Crimea to Russia, it would be political suicide for him. "And for any Ukrainian leader in his position. The situation around Crimea involves another context. Turkey never agreed to the annexation of Crimea and consistently supports existing borders. Ankara controls the Bosporus and doesn’t want Putin to control the strait. As a key NATO member in the region, Turkey influences decisions made by the White House. Neither Kyiv nor Europe will agree to Russia's demands," Piekło explained.
He speculated on a possible international management of Crimea. "Perhaps there will be a formula where Crimea is managed by an international agency like the UN or OSCE, while negotiations continue on its future. Unfortunately, due to Russian policy, Crimea's demographics have changed. Crimean Tatars are persecuted and have mostly left. The peninsula has been Russified unlawfully," Piekło noted.
Retired Col. Piotr Lewandowski observed that Ukraine lacks the military capacity to retake Crimea. "Ukrainian forces occasionally attack the peninsula. Russian forces are seen as occupying forces. If Ukraine renounced its rights, it would lose its ability to challenge Russian forces in Crimea. The Crimea issue remains one of the most challenging aspects of these negotiations," concluded the former military officer.
