Ukrainian soldiers on a Soviet-made T-72 tank Photo: Roman Pilipey / AFP
A senior adviser to US President-elect Donald Trump said in an interview that the Trump administration will focus on achieving peace in Ukraine rather than returning the occupied territories, including Crimea. This was reported by the BBC
Brian Lanza, a strategist with many years of experience in the Republican Party, told the BBC that the Trump administration will demand a “realistic vision of peace” from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He noted that the issue of Crimea could become an obstacle to negotiations.
“If President Zelensky claims that peace is possible only with the return of Crimea, it will be a sign that he is not serious,” Lanza said. “Crimea has already been lost. And if your priority is to return Crimea with the participation of American troops, then you are on your own.”
Lanza also stressed that the main goal for the Trump administration is “peace and stopping the bloodshed”. In his opinion, the United States should ask Ukraine a question: “What is your realistic vision of peace? It should not be a vision of victory, but a vision of peace. It is time to start an honest conversation”.
As a reminder, Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 after the ouster of Ukraine’s pro-Russian president. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, Russian troops have occupied about 20% of Ukrainian territory.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly stated that peace is possible only after the complete withdrawal of Russian troops and the return of all occupied territories, including Crimea. Ukraine’s recent “victory plan” also includes a demand for NATO membership, which Russia rejects.
As part of his election campaign, Trump promised to end the war quickly, but did not disclose the details of his plan. This week, Zelenskyy and Trump discussed the situation on the phone, with US billionaire and Trump ally Elon Musk also taking part in the conversation, according to media reports.
Such statements and positions on Ukraine cause concern among both Ukrainian and international analysts, as they bring closer the threat of freezing the conflict instead of its final resolution.
