In an interview released Friday, President Donald Trump stated that “Crimea will stay with Russia,” marking another moment where he urged Ukraine to concede territory in hopes of ending the ongoing war.
“Zelenskyy understands that,” Trump said, referencing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “And everybody understands that it’s been with them for a long time.”
Trump’s remarks came during a conversation with Time magazine earlier in the week. He has consistently accused Zelenskyy of prolonging the war by refusing to negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Crimea, a vital region situated on the Black Sea, was annexed by Russia back in 2014 during President Barack Obama’s administration, long before the broader conflict erupted in 2022.
“They’ve had their submarines there for long before any period that we’re talking about, for many years. The people speak largely Russian in Crimea,” Trump said. “But this was given by Obama. This wasn’t given by Trump.”
As Trump discussed Crimea, Russian attacks continued across Ukraine. A drone strike on an apartment building in southeastern Ukraine killed three civilians and injured ten others, just one day after Trump criticized Russia’s leadership over a deadly assault on Kyiv.
Among those killed in Pavlohrad, located in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, were a child and a 76-year-old woman, according to Serhii Lysak, the regional governor, who posted about the tragedy on Telegram.
Ukraine’s air force reported that Russian forces launched 103 Shahed and other drones overnight targeting five Ukrainian regions. Officials in the Sumy and Kharkiv areas confirmed civilian infrastructure was hit, but there were no immediate reports of additional casualties.
The conflict could be reaching a critical stage, with the Trump administration reportedly weighing the possibility of stepping back if progress toward a peace deal is not achieved soon, which could also result in U.S. military aid being scaled down.
While diplomatic efforts stumble, Russia unleashed a massive assault on Kyiv Thursday, killing at least 12 civilians and injuring 87 more—the deadliest attack on the Ukrainian capital since last summer.
Trump, who rarely criticizes Putin directly, expressed disapproval of the assault. “I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Lets get the Peace Deal DONE!”
{Matzav.com}