The announcement followed reports that a White House meeting between Trump and Zelensky ended in a “shouting match”, as US officials pushed Ukraine to give up land to Russia.
Zelensky had gone to Washington to ask the US to supply sought-after Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine to strike deep into Russian territory.
But reports suggest Trump had instead insisted Zelensky surrender the entire eastern Donbas region to Putin. Russia controls 70% of Donetsk and nearly all of neighbouring Luhansk.
The Financial Times reported, external Trump had warned Zelensky that Putin would “destroy” Ukraine if he did not agree to its terms, citing sources familiar with the conversation.
In the more than 1,300 days since Russia invaded Ukraine, Putin has become increasingly reliant on support from North Korea, Iran and China.
According to Healey, Russia has suffered over a million casualties and devoted 40% of its government spending to the military.
But in recent months Moscow has intensified attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure, prompting emergency power cuts across the country.
European leaders have expressed concern over Trump’s shifting stance, with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warning on social media that “appeasement never was a road to a just and lasting peace”.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb said “the only ones who can decide on the land issue are the Ukrainians themselves”.
Speaking to the BBC, Stubb said Finland, a member of the coalition of the willing. would never recognise Crimea, or the regions of Donetsk or Luhansk, as Russian.