Trump pressures Zelensky: "Ukraine could one day be Russian"

BrusselsA cold and a hot one from Donald Trump in the Ukraine war. Last week the US president He attacked Vladimir Putin and threatened Russia with new sanctions if it did not end the invasion, but on Monday he chose to pressure Volodymyr Zelensky to accept a potential ceasefire or peace agreement with the Kremlin. "They can close a deal or not. They can be Russians one day or not," the New York magnate warned in an interview on Fox, just days before the meeting that the Ukrainian president will hold on Friday at the Munich conference with the vice president of the United States, JD Vance, and Keith Kellogg, the House of Kellogg.

Trump has not only raised the tone against Ukraine regarding the possible peace negotiations, but also Regarding the financing that Washington Trump said that the US has supplied Kiev during these almost three years of war: "We have all that money there and I want it back." In this regard, he has insisted on the desire to benefit from the rare earths that abound in Ukraine, which are key materials especially for the technology industry. Specifically, the US president wants "the equivalent" of rare earths to 500 billion dollars and assures that Ukraine has already "essentially accepted it", although Zelensky has only shown himself willing to negotiate the exploitation of its mines.

These statements by Trump come at a key moment in the conflict between Moscow and Kiev. The US president has not managed to end the war in 24 hours, as he promised during his election campaign, but he does seem to be accelerating a potential ceasefire or, at best, a peace agreement. Zelensky himself has said on more than one occasion that 2025 is the year of peace and that he is willing to negotiate with Putin, and Trump has already admitted that his administration has maintained contacts with the Kremlin.

In this context, one of the big issues on the table at this week's Munich Security Conference will be the potential negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. The director of the military meeting, Christoph Heusgen, himself assured this Monday in the press conference prior to the meeting that he assumes that "there will be conversations" between Zelensky, Vance and Kellog, and that he believes that they will serve "to advance towards peace in Ukraine." In addition, according to Bloomberg, the US is expected to present its peace plan for Ukraine, although Heusgen avoids confirming it. "We will have to listen to them," the German diplomat limited himself to saying.

On the other hand, this Wednesday and Thursday the meeting of NATO Defense Ministers will also be held in Brussels and, although it is not scheduled as an official point on the agenda, diplomatic sources of the Atlantic Alliance admit that it will be one of the topics that will be discussed informallyHowever, the same sources warn that there are currently "very detailed and specific" proposals for ceasefires or peace agreements circulating in the diplomatic arena, which they do not believe and claim could be disinformation documents from Russian propaganda.

As for Russia, it was not long before it came out to applaud Trump's latest words on Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that the Ukrainian situation "largely corresponds to the words" of the American president: "The reality is that a significant part of Ukraine wants to be Russian and a part already is." He was referring, implicitly, to the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia, which Moscow claims to have annexed.

Western Allies' troops in Ukraine

One of the key points of this potential understanding between both parties is whether the United States and European allies are willing to sending troops into Ukrainian territory NATO has been calling for this for some time now, and despite initial opposition, more and more EU partners are opening the door to sending troops to Ukraine. However, both Kiev and Brussels would prefer the US to get involved as well. For the moment, Trump is opposed to it.

NATO diplomatic sources say that one of the options that seems most feasible at the moment is sending soldiers to Ukraine individually, not through the EU or the Atlantic Alliance, or as UN Blue Helmets. However, the Atlantic allies are avoiding at all costs increasing their commitment to a future accession of Ukraine to NATO while the country is at war, although Zelensky insists that this is the best guarantee for Putin to comply with a potential agreement.