US president ramps up pressure on Ukrainian leader to accept deal with Russia ahead of talks in Washington, DC.United States President Donald Trump has increased pressure on Ukraine to accept an agreement to end Russia’s war, claiming that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy could choose to end the conflict “almost immediately”.Addressing Zelenskyy a day before his high-stakes visit to the White House on Monday, Trump warned that the return of Russian-occupied Crimea and Ukrainian membership of NATO would be off the table in any negotiated settlement.“President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform on Sunday.“Remember how it started. No getting back Obama given Crimea (12 years ago, without a shot being fired!), and NO GOING INTO NATO BY UKRAINE. Some things never change!!!”Trump’s comments came as European leaders were set to accompany Zelenskyy on his visit to Washington, DC, on Monday amid concerns in Brussels and Kyiv that the US president could sign off on a deal that is overly favourable to Russian President Vladimir Putin.Speaking shortly after Trump’s comments on Sunday, Zelenskyy said that previous concessions to Moscow, including in Crimea, had only emboldened Putin to wage more war.“We all share a strong desire to end this war quickly and reliably. And peace must be lasting, …
