”We have banned the Russian Embassy from all anniversaries since the attack on Ukraine. If the ambassador comes anyway, we will enforce our house rules – in close coordination with security forces,” he said, as quoted by Bild.

President Trump publicly criticized Zelensky for refusing to recognize Russia’s occupation of Crimea, calling Zelensky’s stance “very harmful to the peace negotiations with Russia” and warning that Ukraine risks losing the entire country if it does not accept a deal. Trump argued that Crimea “was lost years ago” and is “not even a point of discussion,” urging Zelenskyy to “get it done” for peace.

This criticism followed Zelensky’s reaffirmation that Ukraine would “not legally recognize the occupation of Crimea,” citing Ukraine’s constitution and sovereignty. The Trump administration is considering a peace proposal that would involve the U.S. formally recognizing Russian control over Crimea and unofficially acknowledging Russian occupation of parts of four eastern Ukrainian regions—Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson—in exchange for a ceasefire.

Vice President JD Vance delivered an ultimatum to Ukraine, saying it was time to accept the U.S. proposal or risk the U.S. withdrawing from the peace process. European allies expressed concern about the U.S. position, fearing it would pressure Ukraine to cede territory and undermine the rules-based international order. While some Ukrainians support ending the war, there remains strong opposition to formally ceding any territory to Russia, and European governments warn that recognizing the annexation would reward Russian aggression.

The US plans to demand that Russia formally accept Ukraine’s right to maintain its own army and defense industry as part of any peace agreement, a move that would force President Putin to abandon his goal of Ukrainian demilitarization. US envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to present this demand directly to Putin. Additional US conditions include Russia returning the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, ensuring Ukrainian access to the Dnieper River, and the return of Russian-occupied land in the Kharkov region. In exchange, the US has proposed lifting some sanctions on Moscow and has stated that any deal must include security guarantees for Ukraine, though the specifics remain unclear. The peace plan has faced criticism for favoring Russia, especially as it suggests recognizing Crimea as Russian and freezing the current battle lines, effectively leaving other occupied territories under Moscow’s control. The US has warned it will abandon negotiations if progress stalls.