Ukraine's Zelenskiy notes 'emotions' in talks, alludes to dispute with U.S. over Crimea

(Reuters) -Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy acknowledged on Wednesday that peace talks in London had been marked by "emotions" and pledged that Ukraine would abide by its constitution, an oblique reference to U.S. criticism of his stand that Kyiv could never recognise Russian control over the Crimea peninsula.

"Emotions have run high today. But it is good that 5 countries met to bring peace closer," Zelenskiy wrote on the X social media platform after the talks.

"The American side shared its vision. Ukraine and other Europeans presented their inputs. And we hope that it is exactly such joint work that will lead to lasting peace."

In his post, Zelenskiy said Ukraine "will always act in accordance with its Constitution and we are absolutely sure that our partners, in particular the USA, will act in line with its strong decisions".

He appended a copy of a 2018 statement by then-U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo - during Trump's first term as president - calling on Russia to end its occupation of Crimea and uphold the principle of not changing borders by force.

Russia seized Crimea in 2014 after a popular uprising in Kyiv prompted Ukraine's Russia-friendly president of the time to flee the country. Russia then held a referendum in the peninsula, denounced by Western countries, and annexed the territory.

Zelenskiy on Tuesday reiterated that Ukraine will not recognise Russia's annexation of Crimea, saying: "There’s nothing to talk about here. This is against our constitution."

Trump, who argued with Zelenskiy during a Washington meeting in February, derided the Ukrainian president's statement as inflammatory and said it made a peace deal harder to achieve. Trump said Crimea was lost years ago "and is not even a point of discussion."

White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt later said Trump's patience with the Ukrainian president was "running very thin" and that Zelenskiy "seems to be moving in the wrong direction."

(Reporting by Ron Popeski; Editing by Alistair Bell)