A senior adviser to Donald Trump has warned Volodymyr Zelensky that he must come to the negotiating table with a “realistic vision of peace”.

Republican strategist Brian Lanza also said that Crimea was not subject to negotiations, adding: “Crimea has disappeared.”

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Speaking to the BBC, Lanza said: “When Zelensky says we will stop this fighting and there will only be peace once Crimea is returned, we have news for President Zelensky: Crimea has disappeared.

“And if that’s your priority: getting Crimea back and American soldiers are fighting to get Crimea back, you’re on your own.”

The United States has never deployed American soldiers to fight in Ukraine and Kyiv never asked American troops to fight in its name – but it did ask for American military help to arm its own soldiers.

Lanza said he had immense respect for the Ukrainian people and described them as having the heart of a lion.

However, he said the United States’ priority was “peace and stopping the killings.”

He added: “What we are going to say to Ukraine is: do you know what you see?

“What do you consider to be a realistic vision of peace.

“It’s not a vision of victory, but it’s a vision of peace. And let’s start having an honest conversation.”

President-elect Trump spoke with Zelensky after his electoral victory, with the billionaire Elon Musk also participating in the call.

A source in Ukraine’s presidential office told the BBC that the “good, long conversation” between Zelensky and Trump lasted “about half an hour.”

The source added: “It wasn’t really a conversation to talk about very substantive things, but overall it was very warm and pleasant. »

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