Trump rules out NATO Membership, Crimea return for Ukraine as Zelensky arrives in Washington for peace talks

US President Donald Trump has stated that Ukraine’s return to NATO membership or reclaiming Crimea is off the table, ahead of his meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Washington on Monday.

Zelensky, who has consistently rejected territorial concessions, will hold talks with Trump alongside European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and several European leaders, in a bid to advance peace negotiations with Russia.

The meeting follows Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, which ended without a ceasefire but produced promises of “robust security guarantees” for Ukraine. Zelensky, who was excluded from the Alaska talks, criticized the stance that a ceasefire was unnecessary before a final settlement.

On social media, Trump wrote: “President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight. Remember how it started. No getting back Obama given Crimea (12 years ago, without a shot being fired!), and NO GOING INTO NATO BY UKRAINE. Some things never change!!!”

Zelensky, on arrival in Washington, expressed optimism, saying: “We all share a strong desire to end this war quickly and reliably.” Leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Finland, and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte will also participate in the discussions.

This marks Zelensky’s first US visit since February, when tensions flared during a confrontation with Trump and Vice President JD Vance. Since then, Trump has shown more criticism toward Putin but has avoided imposing additional sanctions on Russia, even after Moscow’s continued stalling in peace efforts.

French President Emmanuel Macron said European leaders want clarity on Washington’s willingness to back security guarantees for Ukraine, with Trump hinting at a NATO-style defense pact outside the formal alliance structure.

Meanwhile, Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff revealed Moscow had offered “concessions” concerning five occupied Ukrainian regions, particularly Donetsk, though details remain undisclosed. Reports also suggested Trump was inclined to support Russian demands over parts of the Donbas in exchange for freezing the front lines in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.

European leaders voiced concern that Washington might pressure Kyiv into concessions. Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski stressed, “For peace to prevail, pressure must be applied to the aggressor, not the victim of aggression.” Macron warned that only Russia is proposing a “capitulation peace.”

Despite battlefield losses, Zelensky has maintained Ukraine will not cede land but is willing to discuss territorial questions in a possible trilateral summit with Trump and Putin. However, Moscow has downplayed such prospects, while continuing its gradual offensive in Donetsk and launching deadly strikes in Kharkiv and Sumy.