Trump on Ukraine Deal: "A Lot of Land" in Exchange, Crimea and NATO Off the Table

U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Ukraine would receive "a lot of land" under a potential settlement of the conflict, but made clear that neither the return of Crimea nor NATO membership is possible.

Crimea and NATO Membership Impossible

Speaking on Fox News, Trump emphasized that Kyiv’s claims to Crimea and aspirations for NATO accession are off the table. He did not specify what territories he meant by "a lot of land," leaving the details open to interpretation.

Ukraine as a Buffer State

The president added that he has always regarded Ukraine as a buffer zone between Russia and Europe. He further noted that leaders of the European Union have expressed understanding of Kyiv’s need to cede some territory to Moscow in order to reach a settlement.

Trump said he did not plan to attend the first meeting between Putin and Zelensky and wanted it to be held in a bilateral format. 

The US President also said that:

• Zelensky must demonstrate flexibility in the negotiations on a settlement in Ukraine.
• It will be up to Putin and Zelensky to make decisions in the negotiations, the US is far from the conflict.
• A deal on Ukraine may or may not take place. "We will see in the next 2-3 weeks."

Macron on Trump’s Shift

Earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron said that European leaders had managed to shift Trump’s approach to the Ukraine conflict since his return to the White House. According to Macron, Trump’s main change was acknowledging the necessity of providing Ukraine with security guarantees. The French leader stressed that this became possible largely due to the unity of European nations supporting Kyiv.