The US President’s plan to allow Vladimir Putin to keep the occupied territory’s in Ukraine is “set in stone,” the Times reported on Saturday.
It is understood that flexibility remains in place over the recognition Crimea is Russian and the Times reported that President Zelensky is not under pressure “to sign away Ukrainian sovereignty.”
“Trump’s view is that this land has been seized and it is not going back,” the source told the Times.
“The deal on the table is that the Russian-occupied territory is going to remain occupied. That part is set in stone.”
During the Pope’s funeral in the Vatican Donald Trump met with the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was told he “really has no choice” and will have to agree the terms to end the war.
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The US President has threatened to walk away from the peace talks unless a deal is reached.
Deputy Foreign Minister Mariana Betsa told Times Radio, “We’ll never recognise the attempted annexation by Russia,” this has also been echoed by President Zelensky and other lawmakers in Kyiv.
On Friday Zelensky told journalists that Ukraine is prepared to discuss the occupied territories after there has been an unconditional ceasefire.
He said, “We’ll never recognise the attempted annexation by Russia.”
“I agree with President Trump that Ukraine does not have enough weapons to regain control of the Crimean peninsula by force of arms,” Zelensky added.
On Friday Trump said that Ukraine and Russia “are very close to a deal” to end the war.
Trump wrote on social media, “They are very close to a deal, and the two sides should now meet, at very high levels, to ‘finish it off.’ Most of the major points are agreed to.”
“Stop the bloodshed, now. We will be wherever is necessary to help facilitate the end to this cruel and senseless war!” Trump added.
