US President Donald Trump has sharply criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, accusing him of undermining peace talks with Russia by refusing to acknowledge the loss of Crimea. The statement, published on April 23, 2025, on the Truth Social platform, was a response to Zelensky’s recent interview with The Wall Street Journal, in which he emphasized that Ukraine does not legally recognize the loss of Crimea and does not consider this issue a subject for discussion. According to Trump, such a position seriously damages efforts to achieve peace in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which has been ongoing since February 2022.

In his post, Trump noted that Crimea was “lost” to Ukraine back in 2014, during the presidency of Barack Obama, when Russia annexed the peninsula after a referendum that was not recognized by the international community.

"Why didn't they fight for it 11 years ago when it was handed over to Russia without a single shot being fired?" — Trump asked, ignoring the fact that Zelensky only became president in 2019.

According to historical sources, in 2014, Ukraine, weakened by the internal political crisis after the Euromaidan, was unable to put up significant military resistance, and Russian troops already controlled key facilities on the peninsula, including the Black Sea Fleet bases.

Trump stressed that the United States does not demand that Ukraine recognize Crimea as Russian territory, but called Zelensky's statements "inflammatory" and an obstacle to the peace process. He described the situation in Ukraine as "dire," pointing to significant human and territorial losses.

Trump's statement comes amid a visit by his special envoy Steve Witkoff to Russia. According to Axios, Witkoff left Paris on April 23 and plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on April 25. The purpose of the trip is to discuss a possible ceasefire and the terms of a peace settlement. According to Reuters, Witkoff's previous meetings with Putin in February, March and April 2025 did not lead to significant breakthroughs, although the parties discussed a 30-day truce. Russia, according to the BBC, insists on consolidating control over four regions of the LPR, DPR, Zaporizhia and Kherson, which Kiev categorically rejects.