Overview

• President Trump stated that Crimea will remain Russian and claimed Ukrainian President Zelensky understands this, marking a major shift in U.S. policy.
• The U.S. peace proposal includes recognizing Crimea as Russian, barring Ukraine from NATO, and easing sanctions on Russia, sparking backlash from domestic and international critics.
• Steve Witkoff, Trump's envoy, met with Vladimir Putin for the fourth time since February, continuing back-channel talks that exclude Ukraine and European allies.
• Kyiv's mayor, Vitali Klitschko, suggested that temporary territorial concessions might be a potential path to peace, though this remains contentious in Ukraine.
• Trump publicly warned Putin to stop deadly strikes on Kyiv, which have intensified during the negotiations, but maintained pressure on Ukraine to accept U.S. terms.