Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet with President Donald Trump on Monday afternoon at the White House, just days after Trump and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin left an Alaska summit without a ceasefire deal.

While Putin says Crimea has always been Russian, the peninsula has changed hands over the centuries, having been variously administered by the Russian Empire, warring factions during WWI and the Russian Civil War,

President Trump has outlined specific parameters for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to pursue peace with Russia, including giving up Crimea and not pursuing NATO membership, ahead of a high-stakes meeting at the White House.

President Donald Trump on Sunday night declared that Kyiv would not be regaining Moscow-annexed Crimea, nor would it be allowed to join NATO.

Trump: “President Zelensky can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight."

The leaders of the UK, France and Germany will accompany Ukraine's president for crunch talks on ending Russia's war against Ukraine.

The US president ruled out Ukraine’s joining of NATO and reclaiming Crimea as part of any peace agreement with Russia just hours before he’s due to meet Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders for talks following his Alaskan summit with Putin on Friday.

President Donald Trump said Ukraine won't get back Crimea during negotiations with Russia to end the war, but what is Crimea and why is it so important?