Ukraine defiant on U.S. pressure as Trump accuses Zelensky of boasting

The Washington Post ^ | April 23, 2025 1:09 p.m. EDT | Siobhán O'Grady and Steve Hendrix

[E. Pluribus Unum]

KYIV — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky insisted Wednesday that Russia must accept a full ceasefire before negotiations, thwarting U.S. efforts to gain quick concessions from Kyiv, as President Donald Trump said the Ukrainian leader’s options were either peace now or the eventual loss of his country.

Trump accused Zelensky on Wednesday of “boasting” after the Ukrainian leader told reporters the day before that Kyiv will never recognize Crimea as Russian.

“He can have Peace or, he can fight for another three years before losing the whole Country,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “We are very close to a Deal, but the man with ‘no cards to play’ should now, finally, GET IT DONE.”

U.S. officials presented a proposal last week that apparently included leaving Russia with 20 percent of the Ukrainian land it now occupies, while also denying Ukraine NATO membership and security guarantees. It has also offered U.S. recognition of Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea as well as the eventual lifting of sanctions. Trump wrote Wednesday that despite Zelensky’s comments, Washington is not asking Ukraine to recognize Crimea as Russian.

Trump’s post came soon after Vice President JD Vance warned that the White House could walk away from its own peace process if progress is not made soon.

Washington’s growing rift with Kyiv over its refusal to accept talk of territorial concessions without an initial truce was already playing out publicly earlier Wednesday, as European officials, set to meet a high-level Ukrainian delegation in London, had to downgrade the talks after top U.S. officials abruptly canceled plans to attend.

After his delegation arrived in London, Zelensky doubled down on the need for a full ceasefire, pointing to a Russian drone attack that struck a bus of factory workers in the country’s Dnipropetrovsk region, killing nine people and...

[Worldtraveler once upon a time]

From WaPo --- "...Zelensky doubled down...."

An interesting images, given the past "holds no cards" imagery has become part of the verbiage back and forth.

[janetjanet998]

Meanwhile
OSINTtechnical

@Osinttechnical

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Ukraine’s capital Kyiv is under a massive Russian missile attack tonight, with numerous impacts. Damage to civilian infrastructure and casualties have been reported.

[rottweiller_inc]

Remind me not to get my psychological profiles from the Washington Post who apparently can’t tell the difference between defiance and desperation.

[Gaffer]

See how ‘defiant’ Zelenskyy can be when he stands at whatever airstrip, depot or land route his donated arms aren’t coming to. Or, standing at the counter at the bank waiting for that support check - and none of it ever comes.

That’s what he needs to wise up.

[crz]

Every...single...time that little twerp shoots his mouth off and Trump gives it back to the little twerp the Russians respond this way.

[McGruff]

“Zelensky insisted Wednesday that Russia must accept a full ceasefire before negotiations”

Way to double down on failing.

[JerseyDvl]

Well, they can thank the obstinate Zman for those deaths. All he has ever been good at is getting people killed.

[PhiloBedo]

Or he’s farming potatoes in a Russian gulag.

[doc maverick]

The little cluck, Zelensky, is a pompous, psycho manipulator who has an inflated opinion of himself that doesn’t have much to do with reality. He lost and will lose more if he doesn’t quit listening to his fellow psycho deep state handlers. Then what will he do? Go hide out in South Africa with Hunter so the Ukrainians can’t kill him?

[E. Pluribus Unum]

The little cluck, Zelensky, is a pompous, psycho manipulator who has an inflated opinion of himself that doesn’t have much to do with reality.

High self-esteem for no apparent reason syndrome.

[jacknhoo]

Zelensky is utter trash.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Zelensky is utter trash.

He may be trash, but he's our trash.

End sarcasm, for the humor impaired.

[JSM_Liberty]

The amount of sanctions relief should be related to how much Ukrainian territory that Russia gives back. If they want all the sanctions removed they should give back all the territory they have taken

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Does your co-conspirator Victoria Nuland approve of this?

[Gaffer]

He thinks he do this on his terms, but like Trump says, “he doesn’t have the cards in his hands.”

[wiseprince]

That’s silly. Sanctions relief will probably help Europe just as much. The war was not wisely fought

[House Atreides]

He may be trash, but he’s our trash.
************************************

All my trash is destined to be buried in a landfill before it turns rancid and sickens us. Zelensky’s “best by” date is long since passed.

LET’S DUMP HIM!

[Kazan]

Russia isn't giving an inch of territory back nor do the people there want to go back to being part of Ukraine.

We need to stop wasting money and resources on Ukraine and make mutual beneficial deals with the Russians. Both are in our national interest.

[Veto!]

I just read Trump’s book, The Art of the Deal”. Of course Zelensky has to quit. Horrible “leader”.