When Donald Trump stood before cameras and declared that he could bring an “almost immediate” end to the war in Ukraine if reelected, the remark sparked waves of reactions in Kyiv, Washington, and Moscow. The former president’s statement sounded simple—an easy solution to one of the bloodiest conflicts of our generation. But inside Ukraine’s government, the reality is painfully different: one of Trump’s key demands is something President Volodymyr Zelenskyy simply cannot agree to without devastating consequences for his country’s survival.
Trump, never shy about bold declarations, insisted in recent rallies that all it would take is “one phone call” to end the war. Yet behind his confident phrasing lies a familiar message. His advisors have suggested that Trump envisions Ukraine giving up territory currently occupied by Russia as part of a so-called peace deal. For Ukrainians who have seen entire cities flattened and families torn apart by indiscriminate Russian shelling, the suggestion feels less like peace and more like surrender.
Trump says he could end the Ukraine war in “24 hours.” His plan? Force Kyiv to hand land to Putin. For Zelenskyy, that’s political suicide. pic.twitter.com/kyivstand— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) September 2023
Zelenskyy has repeated countless times that no Ukrainian leader has the authority—moral or political—to recognize Russia’s annexation of Crimea or the occupied territories of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson. Doing so would betray the very soldiers fighting on the frontlines and the millions of displaced citizens who fled their homes. As one Ukrainian MP told Reuters, “If we give up one inch, Russia will come back for a mile.”
Trump’s framing of the conflict, which he often describes as “a European problem,” has also worried NATO allies. A former US ambassador to Ukraine explained in an analysis of Trump’s approach that pressuring Kyiv into concessions could fracture NATO unity and embolden Putin to push further into Eastern Europe. In other words, a quick “peace” might actually set the stage for a larger war.
Zelenskyy on Trump’s claim he could end the war: “You can’t just trade away people, cities, lives. That’s not peace. That’s occupation.” pic.twitter.com/zelenskyystands— Max Seddon (@maxseddon) September 2023
Inside Kyiv, officials quietly admit that Trump’s potential return to power terrifies them. While President Biden has pledged long-term support with weapons, aid, and political backing, Trump has repeatedly questioned why the US should continue to “spend billions on someone else’s war.” The difference in approach is existential for Ukraine: without Western military and financial lifelines, Kyiv could struggle to sustain its defense.
The timing of Trump’s remarks also rubbed salt in open wounds. Only weeks earlier, Ukrainians had mourned the death of civilians in Odesa after missile strikes reduced residential buildings to rubble. For those who buried children, parents, or neighbors, the idea of conceding land to the very aggressor who launched those attacks felt like an impossible betrayal.
In Kyiv, the phrase “almost immediately” hits differently. For families still digging through rubble in Odesa, it feels like abandonment. pic.twitter.com/warpain— War Translated (@wartranslated) September 2023
Even among Ukrainians frustrated with the war’s toll, support for territorial concessions remains low. A poll conducted this year found that more than 80% of citizens reject giving up land in exchange for peace, despite exhaustion and economic hardship. As one displaced mother told The Guardian, “My home is in Mariupol. They can call it Russia now, but my son is buried there. How could I accept that as peace?”
Military experts also argue that any settlement leaving Russian troops in place rewards aggression. NATO analysts warn that Putin, far from being satisfied, would simply regroup and prepare for a new offensive. That’s why Zelenskyy continues to insist on the restoration of all Ukrainian borders recognized under international law, including Crimea.
One “phone call” doesn’t end wars. It ends alliances, it ends democracies, it ends deterrence. That’s the danger. pic.twitter.com/dangerouspeace— Michael McFaul (@michaelmcfaul) September 2023
For Ukraine, the red line remains unmovable: sovereignty cannot be bartered away. To adhere to Trump’s demand would not only undermine the very concept of a free Ukraine, it would also signal to the world that borders can be changed by brute force. And that, Zelenskyy has made clear in every speech to foreign parliaments, is a precedent Ukraine will never allow.