Trump Criticizes Zelensky For Rejecting Land Swap Peace Proposal With Russia

President Donald Trump sharply criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday for rejecting his proposed land swap with Russia as a way to end the ongoing war, calling Zelensky’s stance a major obstacle to peace.

Speaking from the White House Briefing Room, Trump said he was “a little bothered” by Zelensky’s insistence that any such deal would require constitutional approval. “He’s got approval to go into war and kill everybody, but he needs approval to do a land swap,” Trump remarked. “There’ll be some land swapping going on. Russia has occupied a big portion of Ukraine. We’re going to try to get some of that territory back for Ukraine.”

Zelensky has firmly rejected the idea, stating Saturday, “Ukrainians will not gift their land to the occupier. Any decisions made without Ukraine are decisions against peace. They will never work.”

Trump first floated the land swap last Friday while revealing plans to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska later this week. According to reports, Putin told Trump envoy Steve Witkoff he would be willing to end the war if Russia retained control over the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas. The area, rich in resources and industry, is currently under partial Russian occupation despite ongoing Ukrainian counterattacks.

“Putin, I believe, wants to see peace, and Zelensky wants to see peace,” Trump said Friday, adding there would be “some swapping” of territories “to the betterment of both.” He emphasized that part of his plan is to have Putin agree to direct talks with Zelensky, even though the Ukrainian leader is not invited to the Alaska meeting.

The president suggested he would quickly determine whether a deal is possible. “Probably in the first two minutes, I’ll know exactly whether or not a deal can be made,” Trump said. “Ultimately, I’m going to put the two of them in a room. I’ll be there, or I won’t be there, and I think it’ll get solved.”

Trump has criticized both leaders at different times but says the war now in its third year should have never started. His approach marks a sharp break from the Biden administration’s policy of heavily arming Ukraine without pushing for territorial negotiations.

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