Zelensky firmly rejected the proposal, declaring his nation would not acknowledge the legitimacy of Russia’s 2014 occupation of Crimea. He declared, “There is nothing to talk about. This violates our Constitution. This is our territory, the territory of the people of Ukraine.” In response, Trump accused Zelensky of making “inflammatory” remarks, suggesting that had Ukraine wanted to retain Crimea, they should have fought for it at the time of its annexation.

The war has resulted in Russia currently occupying nearly 20% of Ukrainian territory, and many experts warn that a freeze would effectively require Ukraine to concede significant land to Russia, a movement widely viewed as capitulation in the ongoing conflict.