Trump accuses Zelensky of harming Ukraine peace negotiations
Donald Trump has accused Volodymyr Zelensky of harming peace negotiations over the war in Ukraine with "inflammatory statements".
The Ukrainian president told a news conference on Tuesday that Kyiv would not recognise Russian control of Crimea, comments which Trump said "would do nothing but prolong" the conflict.
The US president's remarks on his social media platform Truth Social came after Vice-President JD Vance said the US would "walk away" from its deal making role if the two sides did not come to an agreement.
US officials pulled out of a London meeting this week to focus on talks in Moscow, as the pace of diplomacy to end the war quickens.
A key part of the US proposal to end the conflict, according to leaks in recent days, involves recognising Crimea – which was annexed illegally by Russia in 2014 – as de jure Russian territory.
"There's nothing to talk about here. This is against our constitution," Zelensky said.
In response, Trump said: "This statement is very harmful to the peace negotiations with Russia", adding that it would prolong the "killing field".
"It's inflammatory statements like Zelensky's that makes it so difficult to settle this war," Trump said.
"Stopping the killing is task number one," Zelensky said on social media on Wednesday.
The comments are the latest chapter in an often fractious relationship between the two leaders.
In February, the pair clashed in a fiery meeting in the Oval Office.
Trump repeatedly said on the campaign trail he could end the Ukraine-Russia war in one day, but as he approaches his 100th day in office a truce remains elusive, appearing to wear thin the patience of the White House.
Vance told reporters this week during a visit to India: "It's time for them to either say yes or for the US to walk away from this process."
"We've engaged in an extraordinary amount of diplomacy, of on the ground work, he said.
Vance said a deal between Russia and Ukraine would likely require both countries "to have to give up some of the territory they currently own".
Watch in full: The remarkable exchange between Zelensky and Trump
