Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged on Wednesday that peace talks in London had been marked by "emotions" and pledged that Ukraine would abide by its constitution, an oblique reference to U.S. criticism of his stand that Kyiv could never recognize Russian control over the Crimea peninsula.
"Emotions have run high today. But it is good that 5 countries met to bring peace closer," Zelenskyy wrote on the X social media platform after the talks.
"The American side shared its vision. Ukraine and other Europeans presented their inputs. And we hope that it is exactly such joint work that will lead to lasting peace."
In his post, Zelenskyy said Ukraine "will always act in accordance with its Constitution and we are absolutely sure that our partners, in particular the USA, will act in line with its strong decisions."
He appended a copy of a 2018 statement by then-U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo - during Trump's first term as president - calling on Russia to end its occupation of Crimea and uphold the principle of not changing borders by force.
Russia seized Crimea in 2014 after a popular uprising in Kyiv prompted Ukraine's Russia-friendly president of the time to flee the country. Russia then held a referendum in the peninsula, denounced by Western countries, and annexed the territory.
Zelenskyy on Tuesday reiterated that Ukraine will not recognize Russia's annexation of Crimea, saying: "There’s nothing to talk about here. This is against our constitution."
Trump, who argued with Zelenskyy during a Washington meeting in February, derided the Ukrainian president's statement as inflammatory and said it made a peace deal harder to achieve. Trump said Crimea was lost years ago "and is not even a point of discussion."
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