President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he suspects that Vladimir Putin wanted to end his war in Ukraine, expressing new doubts that a peace agreement can be reached soon. Just one day ago, Trump said that Ukraine and Russia are “very close to the deal.”
“There has been no reason for Putin to shoot missiles to civilian areas, cities and towns, during the past few days,” Trump said in a social media post returning to the United States after the funeral of Pope Francis. Trump alluded to other sanctions against Russia.
“This makes me think that he may not want to stop the war, as it only exploits me, and it must be dealt with differently, through” banks “or” secondary penalties? “Many people die !!!” Trump wrote.
Trump met earlier on Saturday for a short period in the Vatican with Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelinsky before the funeral of the Pope.
This was the first face of face between Trump and the Ukrainian leader since they argued during a hot oval office meeting at the White House in late February.
Zelinski’s office said that the teams are making arrangements for leaders to speak again on Saturday, but Trump went directly to Rome airport after the funeral and climbed the first air force of the 10 -hour flight to the United States, which seemed to exclude a second personal conversation. Zelinski spokesman, Sirhi Nikiforov, said that Trump and Zelinski did not meet again because of their narrow tables.
“A good meeting” on social media after the funeral.
“We discussed a lot on one. Hoping results on everything we covered. Protecting the lives of our people. A complete and unconditional ceasefire. A reliable and permanent peace that would prevent another war from leaving,” said at X.
The White House described the discussion as “very fruitful” and said it would make more details later. The meeting lasted for about 15 minutes inside the Church of St. Peter in the Vatican, where Francis often preached the need for a peaceful end of the war, before Trump and Zelinski occupied their seats at the external funeral ceremony.
The Vatican has long been offered to help facilitate peace talks, and Francis regularly called for peace and dialogue from the altar of Basilica. Trump and Zelinski spoke separately, face to face and face them on chairs on marble floors in the Pope’s house, on his funeral day, perhaps a suitable way to honor his desires.
The meeting met hours after Trump said on social media, after arriving in Italy late on Friday, that Russia and Ukraine should take place with “high -level talks” to end the three -year war raised by Russia’s invasion.
Trump pressed both sides to quickly reach an agreement to end the war, but while Zelinski agreed to an American plan for a 30 -day first end to hostile actions, Russia did not sign and continued to hit targets inside Ukraine.
Kyiv-lasted missiles from KYIV that killed at least 12 people Trump led to the appeal on social media Russian President Vladimir Putin has to end strikes on the capital of Ukraine.
“Vladimir, stop!” Trump wrote.
Trump’s special envoy, Steve Whitkov, met earlier on Friday with Putin in Moscow, and Trump said that both sides are “very close to the deal.”
Putin did not attend Francis’s funeral. He faces an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court, which accused him of war crimes stemming from Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Meanwhile, in a statement on Friday night, Zelenskyy said, “You may hold very important meetings” in the coming days, and that an unconditional ceasefire is needed.
He said: “There is a need for real pressure on Russia so that they accept either the American proposal to stop the fire and move towards peace, or our proposal – which one can really work and ensure reliable, immediate and unconditional fire, and then – generous peace and security guarantees.”
“Diplomacy must succeed. We do everything to make diplomacy really significantly and effectively.”
The meeting also came on Saturday after a short period of Trump’s release with his most specific statement to date about the need for Ukraine to give up lands for Russia to close the war. “The Crimea will remain with Russia.”
Russia seized the strategic peninsula along the Black Sea in southern Ukraine in 2014, years before the full invasion that started in 2022. Zelinski wants to restore the Crimea and other Ukrainian lands that Russia seized, but Trump considers the demand for sports.
Referring to the Crimea during the interview, which was held at the White House on Tuesday, Trump said: “Everyone realizes that he was with them for a long time,” which means Russia.
