Trump says Zelenskyy is prolonging war in Ukraine by resisting calls to cede Crimea to Russia

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — President Donald Trump on Wednesday lashed out at Ukraine's president, saying Volodymyr Zelenskyy is prolonging the “killing field” after pushing back on ceding Crimea to Russia as part of a potential peace plan.

Zelenskyy on Tuesday ruled out ceding territory to Russia in any deal before talks set for Wednesday in London among U.S., European and Ukrainian officials. “There is nothing to talk about. It is our land, the land of the Ukrainian people,” Zelenskyy said.

During similar talks last week in Paris, U.S. officials presented a proposal that included allowing Russia to keep control of occupied Ukrainian territory as part of a deal, according to a European official familiar with the matter who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Trump called Zelenkyy's pushback “very harmful” to talks.

“Nobody is asking Zelenskyy to recognize Crimea as Russian Territory but, if he wants Crimea, why didn’t they fight for it eleven years ago when it was handed over to Russia without a shot being fired?” he wrote on social media.

Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 after sending troops to overrun it. Weeks later, Moscow-backed separatists launched an uprising in eastern Ukraine, battling Kyiv’s forces.

Trump also asserted they were close to a deal and that Ukraine's leader can have peace or "he can fight for another three years before losing the whole Country," adding that Zelenskyy's statement “will do nothing but prolong the ‘killing field,’ and nobody wants that!"

Wednesday's meeting was pared back at the last minute, while Vice President JD Vance said negotiations are reaching a moment of truth.

“We’ve issued a very explicit proposal to both the Russians and the Ukrainians, and it’s time for them to either say ‘yes’ or for the United States to walk away from this process," Vance told reporters during a visit to India.

He said it was “a very fair proposal” that would “freeze the territorial lines at some level close to where they are today,” with both sides having to give up some territory they currently hold. He did not provide details.

Trump, who is set to travel to Rome for Pope Francis's funeral on Saturday, told reporters later on Wednesday that he did not know if he would meet with Zelenskyy or other European leaders to discuss the war while in Italy. He also said that has found dealing with Zelenskyy harder than dealing with the Russians.

Trump who is set to travel to the Middle East next month said it was “possible” that he could meet with Putin while in Saudi Arabia, but that it is more likely he will meet with the Russian leader soon after that trip.

A senior European official familiar with the ongoing talks involving the American team said a proposal the United States calls “final” was initially presented last week in Paris, where it was described as “just ideas” — and that they could be changed.

When those “ideas” surfaced in media reports, Ukrainian officials were surprised to find that Washington portrayed them as final, according to the official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Zelenskyy said Wednesday that Ukraine is ready for any format of negotiations that might bring a ceasefire and open the door to full peace negotiations, as he mourned nine civilians killed when a Russian drone struck a bus earlier in the day.

“We insist on an immediate, complete and unconditional ceasefire,” Zelenskyy wrote on social media, in accordance with a proposal he said the U.S. tabled six weeks ago.

Ukraine and some Western European governments have accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of dragging his feet on that proposal as his army tries to capture more Ukrainian land. Western analysts say Moscow is in no rush to conclude peace talks because it has battlefield momentum.

U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the talks in London to find an end to the more than three-year war would involve only lower-ranking officials, after the U.S. State Department said Tuesday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio was unable to attend because of a scheduling issue.

Rubio's abrupt cancellation raised doubts about the direction of negotiations. He had indicated that Wednesday’s meeting could be decisive in determining whether the Trump administration remains engaged.

Commenting on those attending the talks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that “as far as we understand, they so far have failed to bring their positions closer on some issues.” He said the Kremlin was still in consultations with American officials but wouldn’t publicly discuss details.

U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to visit Moscow again later this week, according to Russian officials.

Even achieving a limited, 30-day ceasefire has been beyond the reach of negotiators, as both sides continue to attack each other along the 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line and launch long-range strikes.

A Russian drone struck a bus carrying workers in Marganets, in eastern Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region on Wednesday morning, killing eight women and one man, regional head Serhii Lysak wrote on social media. More than 40 people were injured, he said.

Lysak published photos of a bus with windows blown out and shards of glass mixed with blood spattered on its floor.

Trump has pushed for an end to the war and said last week that negotiations were “coming to a head.” That comment came after Rubio suggested the U.S. might soon back away from negotiations if they don’t progress.

Those still attending Wednesday's meeting include retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, Trump’s envoy for Ukraine and Russia.

Andrii Yermak, the head of Ukraine’s presidential office, said on social media that a delegation including him, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov had arrived in London for the talks despite the alterations.

“The path to peace is not easy, but Ukraine has been and remains committed to peaceful efforts,” Yermak said. Officials would “discuss ways to achieve a full and unconditional ceasefire as the first step toward a comprehensive settlement and the achievement of a just and lasting peace."

Several hours later, Yermak said that he, Sybiha and Umerov met with national security and foreign policy advisors from the countries “participating in the coalition of the willing” and “emphasized our commitment” to the U.S. president's peace efforts.

He asserted on social media that “Russia continues to reject an unconditional ceasefire, dragging out the process and trying to manipulate negotiations.”

Trump said repeatedly during his election campaign last year that he would be able to end the war “in 24 hours” upon taking office. But he has expressed frustration with Zelenskyy and Putin. Russia has effectively rejected a U.S. proposal for an immediate and full 30-day halt in the fighting by imposing far-reaching conditions.

Some European allies are wary of the American proposal for Ukraine to exchange land for peace. But an official said there’s also acknowledgment by some allies that Russia is firmly entrenched wholly or partially in five regions of Ukraine: Crimea, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.

If the goal is to obtain a ceasefire immediately, “it should be based on the line of contact as it is,” said the senior French official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with French presidential policy.

Novikov reported from Kyiv and Madhani from Washington. Hanna Arhirova in Kyiv, Ukraine and Angela Charlton in Paris contributed.

Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

President Donald Trump speaks with reporters at the White House, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Local residents walk past damaged buildings in central Pokrovsk, the site of the heaviest battles with the Russian troops in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Shtekel)

A Ukrainian soldier walks past damaged buildings in central Pokrovsk, the site of the heaviest battles with the Russian troops in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Shtekel)

An abandoned car stands against the background of damaged buildings in central Pokrovsk, the site of the heaviest battles with the Russian troops in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Shtekel)

Local residents walk past damaged buildings in central Pokrovsk, the site of the heaviest battles with the Russian troops in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Shtekel)

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, a damaged bus that was hit by the Russian drone in Marhanets, Dnipropetrovsk region, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, a damaged bus that was hit by the Russian drone in Marhanets, Dnipropetrovsk region, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, a damaged bus that was hit by the Russian drone in Marhanets, Dnipropetrovsk region, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, rescuers carry out bodies of passengers after a Russian drone hit a public bus in Marhanets, Dnipropetrovsk region, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, center, speaks to troops during a visit to a military base training Ukrainian troops with New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, in the west of England, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (Finnbarr Webster/Pool Photo via AP)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during a press conference in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) — Delegations from Russia and Ukraine met Friday in Istanbul for their first direct peace talks in three years, officials said.

A Ukrainian delegation led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov sat down with a low-level Russian team headed by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, according to Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi, who published a photo of the meeting.

The officials present sat around a U-shaped table, with the Russians and Ukrainians facing each other.

Officials and observers expect the Turkish-brokered talks to yield little immediate progress on stopping the more than three-year war.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) — Russia and Ukraine are due to hold their first direct peace talks in three years Friday, gathering in Istanbul for Turkish-brokered negotiations, but officials and observers expect them to yield little immediate progress on stopping the more than 3-year war.

A Ukrainian delegation led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov was due to meet with a low-level Russian team headed by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky.

A senior Ukrainian official close to the talks said that Kyiv’s delegation was prepared to “achieve a lot today” and with a real mandate to resolve key issues. The official, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to make official statements, said the outcome hinges on whether Moscow is equally serious.

Both countries have tried to persuade U.S. President Donald Trump, who has expressed frustration over the slow progress and threatened to punish foot-dragging, that they are eager to resolve the conflict.

The latest push to end the fighting got off to a rocky start on Thursday, when Russian President Vladimir Putin spurned an offer by Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy to meet face-to-face. Delegations from the two countries also flew to different Turkish cities and put together teams of significantly different diplomatic heft for possible talks.

Although expectations for a possible Putin-Zelenskyy meeting were low, the apparent lack of traction in peace efforts frustrated hopes of bold steps being taken in Turkey toward reaching a settlement.

The two sides are far apart in their conditions for ending the war, and Trump said Thursday during a trip to the Middle East that a meeting between himself and Putin was crucial to breaking the deadlock.

On Friday, Trump said a meeting with Putin would happen “as soon as we can set it up.”

“I think it’s time for us to just do it,” Trump told reporters in Abu Dhabi.

Comments Friday by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov appeared to indicate that momentum for a summit is building, as Peskov told reporters top-level talks were “certainly needed.” But he noted that preparing a summit would take time.

Ukraine has accepted a U.S. and European proposal for a full, 30-day ceasefire, but Putin has effectively rejected it by imposing far-reaching conditions.

Meantime, Russian forces are preparing a fresh military offensive, Ukrainian government and Western military analysts say.

Russia’s invasion has killed more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians, the U.N. says, and razed towns and villages. Tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers have died, and likely a larger number of Russian troops, officials and analysts say.

On the battlefield, one Ukrainian soldier said he wasn’t hopeful that the talks would bring a swift end to the war.

“I don’t think they will agree on anything concrete, because summer is the best time for war,” he said, using only the call sign “Corsair,” in keeping with the rules of the Ukrainian military. “The enemy is trying to constantly escalate the situation.”

But he told The Associated Press that many of his fellow soldiers “believe that by the end of the year there will be peace, albeit an unstable one, but peace.”

A Friday morning drone attack on the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kupiansk killed a 55-year-old woman and wounded four men, Oleh Syniehubov, head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, said. All the victims worked for a municipal utility.

After Putin didn’t take up Zelenskyy’s challenge to sit down with him in the Turkish capital on Thursday, the Ukrainian president accused Moscow of not making a serious effort to end the war by sending a low-level negotiating team that he described as “a theater prop.”

Even so, Zelenskyy said that he was sending a team headed by his defense minister to Friday’s meeting in Istanbul. That would show Trump that Ukraine is determined to press ahead with peace efforts despite Russian foot-dragging, Zelenskyy said, amid intense diplomatic maneuvering by Kyiv and Moscow.

The Russian delegation also includes three other senior officials, the Kremlin said. Putin also appointed four lower-level officials as “experts” for the talks.

A flurry of diplomatic activity took place in Istanbul before the talks.

Ukrainian officials held an early-morning meeting with national security advisers from the United States, France, Germany and the United Kingdom to coordinate positions, a senior Ukrainian official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

The U.S. team was led by retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, while Umerov and presidential office chief Andriy Yermak represented Ukraine, the official said.

A three-way meeting between Turkey, the U.S. and Ukraine also took place, Turkish Foreign Ministry officials said. The U.S. side included Secretary of State Marco Rubio as well as Kellogg.

Rubio on Thursday said he didn't foresee major developments in Istanbul.

“We don’t have high expectations of what will happen tomorrow. And frankly, at this point, I think it’s abundantly clear that the only way we’re going to have a breakthrough here is between President Trump and President Putin,” Rubio told reporters Thursday in Antalya, Turkey.

Zelenskyy, meantime, flew to Albania to attend a meeting Friday of the leaders of 47 European countries to discuss security, defense and democratic standards against the backdrop of the war.

Aamer Madhani in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed.

Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Delegations from U.S, left, led by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, fourth left, Turkey, center, led by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, center, and Ukraine, right, led by Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha, fourth right, and Ukraine's Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, second right, gather for a meeting at Dolmabahce palace, in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, May 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco, Pool)

In this handout photo released by Turkish Foreign Ministry, from left, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Ukrainian Head of Presidential Office Andriy Yermak arrive for a meeting at Dolmabahce palace in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, May 16, 2025. (Turkish Foreign Ministry via AP)

In this handout photo released by Turkish Foreign Ministry, front from left, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan arrive for a meeting at Dolmabahce palace in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, May 16, 2025. (Turkish Foreign Ministry via AP)

Vehicles leave the area after talks between the U.S., Turkish and Ukrainian delegations at the Dolmabache palace, in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, May 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Dilara Acikgoz)

In this photo provided by Ukraine's 24th Mechanized Brigade press service, servicemen prepare the drone "Kazhan" that delivers supply and carry heavy bombs, on the front line near Chasiv Yar town, in Donetsk region, Ukraine, Thursday, May 15, 2025. (Oleg Petrasiuk/Ukraine's 24th Mechanized Brigade via AP)

Vehicles begin arriving outside a gate prior to expected talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations at the Dolmabache palace, in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, May 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Dilara Acikgoz)

Vehicles begin arriving outside a gate prior to expected talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations at the Dolmabache palace, in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, May 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Dilara Acikgoz)