Trump demands that Zelensky renounce Crimea and NATO as conditions for signing peace with Russia.

London / BarcelonaOne hot and one cold. While in recent weeks it seemed that Donald Trump had moved closer to the positions of Ukraine and the EU on the armed conflict with Russia, even going so far as to threaten Putin, now the situation has turned inside out. With only hours left until the crucial meeting between the American and Spanish presidents Ukrainian in the White House, and after the summit on Friday in Alaska With his Russian counterpart, Trump has made his demands public: Zelensky must give up Crimea (the peninsula that Russia invaded more than a decade ago) and join NATO. If not, there will be no peace in Ukraine. In a message on his social network, Trump once again puts pressure on Zelensky, warning him that it is up to him whether the war ends or not.

The threats of sanctions in Russia, and even the dispatch of nuclear submarines, are long gone. The meeting in Alaska between Trump and Putin served to bring the two presidents closer, and once again Trump seems fully aligned with the Kremlin's thesis. Thus, the American president's message predicts a complicated meeting, even though on this occasion, and Unlike what happened in February, The Ukrainian president visits Washington accompanied by key European leaders, in a delegation headed by Ursula von der Leyen.

But the outlook is bleak: if Zelensky doesn't accept Trump's demands and he withdraws military support for Ukraine, there's little Europe can do to fill the void left by the United States. Without Washington, Kiev will be at a loss, and Russia will soon devour Ukraine. What's clear is that Trump holds Zelensky responsible for what happens from now on: "He can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants, or he can keep fighting," he told Truth Social. "Remember how it started. That he doesn't get back Crimea, which Obama gave away twelve years ago, and that Ukraine doesn't join NATO."

Zelensky also spoke out at X just after landing in Washington early Monday morning local time. In a message he said: "We all share the desire to end this war quickly and reliably. And peace must be lasting. It must not be used as a springboard for a new attack."

Zelensky asks not to repeat the situation in 1994.

The Ukrainian president recalled that 31 years ago, in 1994, Ukraine was forced to hand over its atomic arsenal in exchange for security guarantees that didn't work. "Obviously, Crimea shouldn't have been ceded, just as the Ukrainians didn't give up Kiev or Odessa after 2022. Ukrainians are fighting for their land, for their independence," he emphasized.

Over the weekend, Zelensky and his European allies attempted to coordinate with Washington following Trump's latest backtracking, withdrawing his demand for an immediate ceasefire following the meeting with Putin. However, Kiev wants to see some positive signs in Trump's apparent willingness to offer security guarantees. And for Zelensky, these guarantees must be "practical and effective, with protection on land, sea, and air, and with European participation." Last night, Russia launched four missiles and 140 drones against Ukrainian cities, including Kharkiv, killing three people, including a two-year-old child.

But the scope of the guarantees remains uncertain. Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, who met several times with Putin, commented that Moscow had agreed that the US and its allies could offer Ukraine protection similar to that theoretically invoked by NATO's Article 5, which states that an attack on a partner will be considered an attack. Secretary of State Marco Rubio clarified, however, that Moscow would still need to give its approval, stressing that Ukraine is entitled to security arrangements like any sovereign state.

Meanwhile, France and the United Kingdom have proposed a "tranquilization force" for the post-peace period, with headquarters in Paris. But Zelensky is demanding more details and, above all, clarification of Washington's role. The meeting will also be attended by Ursula von der Leyen, Friedrich Merz, Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron, Giorgia Meloni, Alexander Stubb, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

The debate is also likely to include territorial issues that Zelensky will find difficult to stomach. Putin is demanding a Ukrainian withdrawal from the Donbas (in the east of the country) in exchange for freezing the rest of the front. Rubio has indicated that both sides will have to make concessions: Russia could give up some of the occupied territory, but Ukraine may have to give up specific areas. Zelensky insists on an immediate ceasefire as a prerequisite for negotiating anything.

The talks, which will begin with a meeting between Trump and Zelensky before joining the rest of the leaders, will also address sanctions and funding for the Ukrainian armed forces. "Putin has many demands, and time is needed to evaluate them," Zelensky said, warning that it is impossible to negotiate under fire.