Last month, President Donald Trump expressed his disappointment towards Russia for initiating missile strikes during the ongoing negotiations aimed at establishing a peace agreement between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Prior to boarding Air Force One, Trump spoke with reporters about various subjects, such as the peace discussions between Russia and Ukraine, talks with Iran, and the recent suicide of Virginia Giuffre, who accused Jeffrey Epstein.

Trump remarked that his meeting with Zelenskyy before Pope Francis’ funeral had been quite successful. “We will observe the developments in the coming days,” Trump stated then. “I was extremely disheartened to see missiles being launched by Russia… very disheartened.”

Trump stated that Zelenskyy raised the issue of Crimea during their discussion, identifying it as a significant point of disagreement for the Ukrainian leader.

Reports suggest that U.S. officials have proposed a potential ceasefire that would entail acknowledging Russia’s control over Crimea—territory it annexed in 2014—and maintaining the current frontlines. However, Zelenskyy has firmly stated that Crimea is a non-negotiable issue.

In 2022, Zelenskyy remarked that the Russian aggression against Ukraine and the broader free Europe “began with Crimea and must conclude with Crimea – and its liberation,” as reported by Axios. Zelenskyy reiterated his government’s stance, rejecting any proposal that would recognize Russian sovereignty over Crimea.