conflict
Russia rejects offer to swap territory gained with Ukraine

Quick Hit:
The Kremlin has flatly rejected a proposal by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to swap Russian-held Ukrainian land for territory in Russia’s Kursk region controlled by Kyiv. Moscow insists it will not negotiate on its occupied land and has vowed to expel Ukrainian forces from Kursk.
Key Details:
- The Ukrainian president suggested exchanging parts of Kursk that Ukraine controls for unspecified Russian-occupied Ukrainian land.
- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declared the idea “impossible” and insisted Russia would never discuss swapping territory.
- Russian forces continue fighting to push Ukrainian troops out of Kursk, while Ukraine attempts to regain control of its own land.
Diving Deeper:
Russia has firmly rejected a proposed land swap suggested by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, dismissing any notion of trading occupied Ukrainian territory for parts of Russia’s Kursk region that Kyiv seized in a cross-border attack last year.
The idea, which Zelensky discussed with The Guardian, was aimed at finding a diplomatic path toward ending the war. “We will swap one territory for another,” Zelensky said, though he did not specify which Russian-occupied areas Ukraine would demand in return. He emphasized that every piece of Ukrainian land is important, declining to name any priorities.
Moscow’s response was swift and unequivocal. “This is impossible,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. “Russia has never discussed and will not discuss the exchange of its territory.” He reaffirmed Russia’s determination to remove Ukrainian forces from Kursk, either by force or by expulsion.
Ukraine’s military made a surprise incursion into Kursk last August, securing pockets of land that Russian forces have been struggling to reclaim. President Vladimir Putin previously assured Russians that Ukrainian troops would be removed but declined to specify a timeline.
Currently, Russia occupies nearly 20% of Ukraine—more than 112,000 square kilometers—while Ukraine controls around 450 square kilometers of Kursk, according to battlefield maps.
conflict
Trump tells Zelensky: Accept peace or risk ‘losing the whole country’

MxM News
Quick Hit:
President Donald Trump warned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that he risks losing Ukraine entirely if he continues resisting a peace settlement. Trump said Moscow is ready for peace, but Kyiv’s refusal to recognize Crimea as Russian territory could derail the effort.
Key Details:
- Trump said Zelensky “can have Peace or… lose the whole Country” and claimed Russia is ready to make a deal.
- Zelensky reiterated Ukraine’s refusal to recognize Russia’s occupation of Crimea, a key sticking point in current peace talks.
- White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump is frustrated and warned peace efforts may end if no deal is reached this week.
Diving Deeper:
President Trump issued a blunt warning to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday, saying the Ukrainian leader must choose between accepting peace or facing the collapse of his nation.
“He can have Peace or… fight for another three years before losing the whole Country,” Trump posted on Truth Social. The statement followed Zelensky’s firm declaration that Ukraine “will not legally recognize the [Russian] occupation of Crimea,” a stance at odds with a proposed peace plan under discussion in London between U.S., British, and European officials.
Trump blasted Zelensky’s comment as damaging, declaring, “Crimea was lost years ago under the auspices of President Barack Hussein Obama, and is not even a point of discussion.” The president added that such rhetoric undermines delicate peace negotiations.
Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump said, “I think Russia is ready,” referring to a peace deal, but questioned whether Ukraine is. Kyiv reportedly signed on to a Trump-proposed ceasefire more than a month ago. Trump hinted that progress has been stymied by Zelensky’s reluctance to compromise.
Despite Russian officials signaling a desire to prolong negotiations—with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissing Trump’s efforts as “futile”—Trump maintained optimism, stating, “I think we have a deal with Russia… we have to get a deal with Zelensky.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump’s patience is wearing thin. “President Zelensky has been trying to litigate this peace negotiation in the press, and that’s unacceptable,” she said, calling for closed-door diplomacy. “The American taxpayer has funded billions… enough is enough.”
Trump, 78, has consistently criticized Obama for allowing Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea to go unanswered. Now, under the Trump administration’s push for peace, a senior official revealed the U.S. is considering recognizing Crimea as Russian territory—a reversal of longstanding American policy based on the 1940 Welles Declaration.
Still, Trump refrained from criticizing Vladimir Putin directly, instead blaming Zelensky for inflammatory statements. “He has nothing to boast about!” Trump said, referencing a heated Feb. 28 Oval Office exchange with Zelensky and Vice President JD Vance.
“I have nothing to do with Russia,” Trump wrote, “but have much to do with wanting to save… five thousand Russian and Ukrainian soldiers a week.”
Trump warned that time is running out: “We are very close to a Deal, but the man with ‘no cards to play’ should now, finally, GET IT DONE.”
With London talks underway and pressure mounting, officials hinted that if no agreement is reached this week, the U.S. could walk away from its efforts in Eastern Europe. Asked whether Trump is ready to give up, Leavitt said, “Not by the end of the day today… but the President… needs to see this thing come to an end.”
conflict
Marco Rubio says US could soon ‘move on’ from Ukraine conflict: ‘This is not our war’

From LifeSiteNews
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is calling the EU/UK bluff here because he knows without the U.S. the EU/UK will not commit to fight Russia.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to reporters in Paris on April 18 about the prolonged peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. However, a frustrated Rubio warned that the U.S. could “move on” from its involvement in negotiations to end the war if no progress is made “within a matter of days and weeks.” That’s the mainstream media narrative.
The non-pretending summary is that Ukraine, France, Great Britain, the EU, NATO, et al are all trying to retain their interests in the conflict. Russia has simple terms, but the war machinery controlled by the intel apparatus (CIA and EU) and the financial stakeholders in the EU region are unhappy. A frustrated Secretary Rubio says, make up your mind, if no deal – we’re done.
Having followed this very closely, here’s what “we’re done” likely means.
President Trump ends the U.S. side of the proxy war. President Trump pulls back all support for Ukraine, stops sending money, weapons, and, to the extent he can, intelligence to Ukraine. This opens the door for Russia to go full combat as the ground thaws, without concern for U.S. to engage.
The EU will have to step up with funding, intelligence, and war material to continue supporting Ukraine. Rubio is calling the EU/UK bluff here because he knows without the U.S. the EU/UK will not commit to fight Russia.
Remember that if no one does anything, Russia has already gained the ground they want and will just continue grinding western Ukraine to ever-expanding rubble. Factually, doing nothing is a big win for Russia, especially if Trump withdraws.
Reprinted with permission from Conservative Treehouse.
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