Ukraine has consistently maintained that any peace settlement must include the full restoration of its 1991 borders, including Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, and the Donbas regions currently under Russian occupation. Moscow, meanwhile, demands recognition of its territorial gains and guarantees that Ukraine will never join NATO.

The gap between these positions remains vast, and there is little evidence that either side is prepared to compromise. What concerns Zelenskyy—and many in the European defense community—is that Washington may lose patience and attempt to impose a settlement that favors expediency over justice.

Michael McFaul, former U.S. Ambassador to Russia and now a senior fellow at Stanford University, noted that the dynamic places Ukraine in an extraordinarily difficult position. "Zelenskyy cannot afford to alienate the United States, which provides the majority of military aid," McFaul explained. "But he also cannot be seen to capitulate on territorial integrity without losing domestic political support."

The tension comes at a particularly sensitive moment. Ukraine's spring offensive has stalled, and while Russian forces have made only marginal gains, the conflict has settled into a grinding war of attrition. Ukrainian casualties are mounting, ammunition supplies remain constrained, and war fatigue is growing among the population.

Yet there is little appetite in Kyiv for a settlement that rewards Russian aggression. Public opinion polls consistently show that over 80% of Ukrainians oppose territorial concessions, even if it means prolonged war.

Zelenskyy's public appeal to Trump is a calculated gamble. By framing the issue in terms of pressure on Putin, he seeks to align with Trump's self-image as a tough negotiator who "wins" deals. The implicit message: a settlement that allows Russia to retain conquered territory is not a win—it is capitulation.

Whether this framing resonates with Trump, who has shown limited patience for the complexities of Eastern European geopolitics, remains to be seen. What is clear is that the gap between Washington's desire for a swift resolution and Kyiv's insistence on justice is widening—and Zelenskyy is running out of tools to bridge it.

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