Trump says ‘I think we have a deal with Russia’ but slams Zelensky over peace talks as JD Vance issues FINAL ultimatum

DONALD Trump last night said he thinks the US has reached “a deal with Russia” over Ukraine – but that Volodymyr Zelensky is yet to agree to the pact.

Trump’s remarks came just hours after JD Vance issued a final ultimatum to both Kyiv and Moscow — warning they must accept the terms of a proposed US peace plan or risk Washington walking away for good.

Speaking from the Oval Office on Wednesday, Trump told reporters: “I think Russia is ready and a lot of people said Russia wanted to go for the whole thing.

“And I think we have a deal with Russia — we have to get a deal with Zelensky.”

He added: “I think we have a deal with both. I hope they do it. You would never have had that war if I was president.”

Just hours earlier, his Vice-President JD Vance slapped Russia and Ukraine with a blistering ultimatum, warning both countries the US would “walk away” if they didn’t find peace.

Trump meanwhile blasted Zelensky’s refusal to negotiate over Crimea in a fiery Truth Social post.

He insisted that a peace deal was “very close”—but only if Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky stops “boasting” and finally “gets it done.”

The president ramped up pressure on the Ukrainian leader, warning that Kyiv’s refusal to compromise on Crimea risks prolonging the war and pushing Ukraine closer to collapse.

“We are very close to a Deal, but the man with ‘no cards to play’ should now, finally, GET IT DONE,” Trump wrote on Wednesday.

“He can have Peace or, he can fight for another three years before losing the whole Country.”

The majority of the lengthy post targeted Zelensky’s recent statement to the Wall Street Journal that Ukraine “will not legally recognize the occupation of Crimea.”

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Trump dismissed the position as “very harmful to the Peace Negotiations with Russia,” claiming Crimea was “lost years ago under the auspices of President Barack Hussein Obama” and that the topic is “not even a point of discussion.”

“Why didn’t they fight for it eleven years ago when it was handed over to Russia without a shot being fired?” he wrote.

“It’s inflammatory statements like Zelensky’s that makes it so difficult to settle this War. He has nothing to boast about!”

The president went on to say he wants to help both countries end what he called a “complete and total MESS,” insisting it’s time to save “five thousand Russian and Ukrainian soldiers a week, who are dying for no reason whatsoever.”

Hours earlier, Vice President Vance threatened to “walk away” from the peace-making process entirely, warning Russia and Ukraine to say “yes” to proposed measures for peace.

Vance said on Wednesday: “We’ve issued a very explicit proposal to both the Russians and the Ukrainians.

“It’s time for them to either say ‘yes’, or for the United States to walk away from this process.”

White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt later said the President is “frustrated” with the pace of talks on ending the war in Ukraine and Zelensky is going in the wrong direction when it comes to negotiations.

She said: “The president’s frustrated. His patience is running very thin.

“He wants to do what’s right for the world. He wants to see peace. He wants to see the killing stop, but you need both sides of the war willing to do that.

“And unfortunately, President Zelenskiy seems to moving in the wrong direction.”

Zelensky, meanwhile, struck a more conciliatory tone last night.

He acknowledged tensions but praising the progress made during talks in London.

In a post on social media, he said: “Emotions have run high today. But it is good that five countries met to bring peace closer.”

Zelensky said all sides—including Ukraine, the US, UK, France and Germany—“respectfully received each other’s positions” and contributed meaningfully.

He stressed that Ukraine would act in line with its Constitution, and expressed confidence that the US and other partners would stand by their “strong decisions.”

It comes after a series of fiery warnings Trump has made in recent weeks, signalling he’s ready to apply heavy economic pressure if peace talks stall.

In March, he threatened “large scale Banking Sanctions, Sanctions, and Tariffs on Russia” if Moscow refused to agree to a ceasefire and final peace settlement, warning both sides to “get to the table right now, before it is too late.”

He later proposed slapping a 50% tariff on countries buying Russian oil unless Putin agrees to halt the fighting, a move that stunned allies and sent a clear signal of his willingness to weaponise global trade in pursuit of peace.

Trump has repeatedly claimed the war “never would have started” if he had been in the White House in 2022, but in recent weeks has adopted a more confrontational tone — especially after a deadly Russian missile strike on Sumy that killed 35 people.

He accused Putin of “pounding” Ukraine and said the violence had crossed a line, prompting talk of new sanctions.

Despite those remarks, Trump also criticised Zelensky for what he called “starting a war against someone 20 times your size” and dismissed Kyiv’s calls for more weapons: “He’s always looking to buy more missiles,” Trump said last month.

Trump has been trying to forge a peace deal since he took power, and his patience now seems near breaking-point.

Vance said it was a very fair proposal that would freeze the front-lines near to where they are now, and require both sides to give up some territory.

He did not provide further details of the proposal, but it could refer to a seven-point peace plan the US has reportedly drawn up.

This was expected to be presented to international foreign minsters in London today, but the talks were scrapped last minute when the US pulled out.

The US efforts to broker peace have included repeated meetings between Putin and special envoy Steve Witkoff.

Putin has continually been accused of scuppering negotiations and seeking to extend the war.

Earlier this month, Trump issued a blistering warning to Putin that he must “get moving” and accept a peace deal.

Then, last week, the US’s Secretary of State Marco Rubio vowed America would turn to other priorities unless progress came quickly.

Speaking after peace talks in Paris, Rubio said: “We’re not going to continue with this endeavour for weeks and months on end.

“So we need to determine very quickly now, and I’m talking about a matter of days whether or not this is doable in the next few weeks.

“If it is we’re in. If it’s not, then we have other priorities to focus on as well.”

Hours later, Trump agreed the US would “take a pass” if either Moscow or Kyiv “make it very difficult” to reach a peace deal.

Vance’s latest ultimatum suggests the US has very nearly had enough and is on the brink of abandoning their efforts.

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Planned “substantive” talks in London on Wednesday were scrapped when Rubio dropped out last-minute – which he blamed on “scheduling issues”.

The summit was supposed to include foreign ministers from the US, UK and European nations, but was scaled back in light of the no-show.

Ukraine’s foreign and defence ministers still met their British counterparts David Lammy and John Healey.

The pared-back talks took place in the wake of Zelensky slamming one of the points reported to feature on the US’s seven-point peace plan.

The US reportedly offered to recognise Russian ownership of Ukraine’s Crimea region, which it invaded in 2014.

The concession was made in exchange for Putin agreeing to freeze the frontline in his last meeting with Witkoff.

He reportedly also hinted he was willing to stop grabbing land and give up his official claims to four parts of Ukraine Russia, three source told the Financial Times.

But Zelensky vowed Ukraine would not, under any circumstances, hand over the land.

He said: “There is nothing to talk about. This violates our Constitution. This is our territory, the territory of the people of Ukraine.”

This position pits Ukraine directly at odds with the US, in light of the terms of the new peace proposal.

The seven-point plan drawn up by the US would, according The Telegraph, allow Russia to keep some of the land it seized from Ukraine.

However, a glaring omission from the plan is the lack of any clear US security guarantees.

Putin’s proposal to halt advances would mark the first time he has given credible signs he is willing to soften his radical demands.

But European officials briefed on the US-driven peace efforts have warned that Putin is not to be trusted.

They said he would likely use the compromise to manipulate Trump into accepting Russia‘s other demands.

One official told the FT: “There is a lot of pressure on Kyiv right now to give up on things so Trump can claim victory.”

Zelensky echoed that warning.

He said that discussions to include Crimea in any peace offer risk placing negotiations into the hands of the Kremlin.

By putting Crimea on the table, he insisted the US would be playing into Putin’s “game”.

Zelensky said: “As soon as talks about Crimea and our sovereign territories begin, the talks enter the format that Russia wants — prolonging the war – because it will not be possible to agree on everything quickly.

“We know where these signals are sounding and will continue to sound.”

He said he did not know whether the inclusion of Crimea originated from Russia or US representatives.

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