BBC Pidgin of Monday, 18 August 2025

Source: BBC

Trump and Zelensky meeting, why Crimea fit end Russia and Ukraine war

Trump greet Volodymyr Zelensky for di White House for Feb. bifor dia infamous row for di Oval Office Trump greet Volodymyr Zelensky for di White House for Feb. bifor dia infamous row for di Oval Office

US President Donald Trump say Volodymyr Zelensky fit end di war between Russia and Ukraine "if im want to" but im give some conditions.

Di conditions na say Ukraine no go join Nato as part of a peace deal and Ukraine no go fit collect Crimea peninsula back from Russia.

Russia bin cut Crimea wey originally be Ukraine land, collect am by force for 2014.

Dis dey come as Ukraine president, Zelensky land for US sake of tok-tok wey dey happun for di White House.

Di tok-tok wey dey happun between di two presidents and oda ogbonge leaders for di European Union [EU] na about di future of Ukraine.

Trump special envoy say Vladimir Putin don agreed to "robust" security guarantees for Ukraine.

Di guarantees include a potential Nato-style defence arrangement. Zelensky don describe di US security guarantee offer as "historic"

E dey possible say di meeting for di White House fit dey even more important to di future of Ukraine dan last Friday US-Russia summit for Alaska.

But for now Russian forces dey kontinu to move slowly forward for eastern Ukraine, while air strikes kill at least five pipo overnight.

Wetin dey cause dis kasala since

Di war between Russia and Ukraine don last for ova three years now. Di kwesion now be say wetin be Nato and Crimea wey be di main issues for dis peace deal.

Nato na military alliance of 32 kontris for Europe, North America and western Asia. Dem bin create am as a bulwark and to protect demsefs against di Soviet Union.

Di military alliance don expand for decades since dem found am for 1949. At di heart of di military alliance na Article 5, and part of di Nato treaty wey tok say an attack on one of dia members na an attack on all.

E mean say if pesin or any kontri attack one Nato member kontri, all dia members must come to dia defence.

Ukraine no be member, of dis alliance but di kontri don express desire to join - wey Russia no want at all.

Crimea na Ukrainian peninsula for di Black Sea for di south of di kontri. For more dan ten years now, e dey under Russian occupation afta Moscow forces illegally cut am for 2014.

Di koko be say, di position of Crimea dey veri important and strategic to Russia becos e dey for Ukraine coastline.

Donbas

Di Donbas na anoda strategic important area wey dey rich in minerals and industry for di far east of Ukraine.

E get provinces like Luhansk and Donetsk. For much of di war, Russian and Ukrainian forces bin dey locked in a grinding battle for control of di region.

Russian forces dey control all of Luhansk and approximately 70% of Donetsk. Between dem, more dan three million Ukrainians dey live dia under Russia according to estimate.

Tins fit don change since di early weeks of President Donald Trump second term, wen im bin call Volodymyr Zelensky "dictator" and pesin wey dey risk "World War Three".

But im latest remark don puts evritin for di Ukrainian leader hand to to end di war.

Im no put similar spotlight on Russian President Vladimir Putin - wey dey responsible for di repeated aggressions against Ukraine - ahead of dia recent Alaska summit.

Dis tone go concern Ukraine European allies, even if dem fit no challenge am directly.

Key European leaders go dey for Washington to support Zelensky today, as dem go hold dia own meeting wit di US president later.

Dem go want to avoid repeat of di spiky encounter between Trump and Zelensky for di Oval Office for February - wey many bin see as hatchet job for di Ukrainian leader.