On the 18th (local time), U.S. President Donald Trump, ahead of a White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, stated that the return of Crimea and membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) could not be subjects of negotiation.
President Trump said in a post on the social media platform Truth Social on the 17th, "If Ukrainian President Zelensky wants, he can almost immediately end the war with Russia. Otherwise, he can continue to fight."
He added, "The Crimea, which was taken during the Obama administration, cannot be regained, and Ukraine's NATO membership is impossible," noting that "some things never change."
Major foreign media outlets assessed that President Trump's social media post highlighted the pressure President Zelensky would face in the upcoming meeting. These two conditions are part of the demands presented by Russian President Vladimir Putin for ending the war.
On the 18th, President Trump is scheduled to meet with President Zelensky and other leaders of major European countries at the White House to explain the peace negotiation plan discussed during the U.S.-Russia summit in Alaska on the 15th.
At this meeting, President Trump is expected to strongly press President Zelensky to accept some of Russia's demands. It is reported that President Trump nearly accepted Putin's demands, including the transfer of the Donbas region, during the Alaska summit.