Trump calls Ukraine's accession to NATO and return of Crimea "impossible"

US President Donald Trump said that Ukraine should abandon hopes of returning Crimea occupied by russia and joining the North Atlantic Alliance. His words were quoted by the Associated Press on Tuesday, August 19.

Trump noted that he was optimistic about the possibility of concluding a peace agreement that would stop russia's war against Ukraine. At the same time, the US President emphasized that Ukraine would have to postpone both its hopes of returning Crimea, which the aggressor country of russia occupied in 2014, and its aspirations to join NATO.

"Both of these things are impossible," Trump said.

At the same time, the AP recalls that russian dictator vladimir putin is seeking the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the Donetsk and Luhansk Regions, as well as the recognition of Crimea as russian territory as part of a potential peace agreement.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, on August 18, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with US President Donald Trump on the doorstep of the White House.

On August 19, US President Donald Trump announced the start of preparations for a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and russian president vladimir putin.

As a reminder, on February 14, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the United States of America never wanted Ukraine's membership in NATO.