In a bold and controversial interview with TIME magazine, Donald Trump declared that Crimea will remain part of Russia, once again placing the blame for the war in Ukraine squarely on Kyiv.
The interview, conducted on April 22 and published today, sees the former U.S. president reiterating his belief that Ukraine provoked the conflict.
“I think the war started when they [Ukrainians] began talking about joining NATO,” Trump told TIME.
Referring to Russia’s 2014 illegal annexation of Crimea, Trump was unequivocal:
“Crimea is going to be Russian,” he said. “Zelensky understands that, and everybody understands that it’s been with them for a long time. It was with them long before Trump came along. Again, this is Obama’s war. This is a war that never should have happened. I call it the war that never should have started.”
The first 100 days of President Donald Trump’s second term have been among the most destabilizing in American history.
— TIME (@TIME) April 25, 2025
He sat down with TIME at the White House on April 22 for a rare long-form, on-the-record interview about the last three months. Read our story:… pic.twitter.com/FkCTUxCviT
When asked whether a ceasefire is possible while Vladimir Putin remains president of Russia, Trump was confident:
“It’s possible—if I’m president, even very possible. If someone else is president, no chance. Can Putin make peace? Yes, I think he will. I think Putin would’ve preferred to do it differently. I think he would’ve preferred to take the whole thing [Ukraine]. And I think I’m the only one who can negotiate this. And I think we were very far along. We had very good talks and were very close to an agreement. I don’t think anyone else could make that deal.”
According to reports from those familiar with his negotiations, Trump’s peace plan would potentially cede around 20 percent of Ukrainian territory to Vladimir Putin, raising serious questions about the implications for global diplomacy and Ukraine’s sovereignty.
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Source: Blic, Foto: EPA-EFE / BONNIE CASH