President Donald Trump said Saturday that Vladimir Putin de Russia wants to end his war in Ukraine, expressing a new skepticism that a peace agreement can be reached soon. Only one day before, Trump had said that Ukraine and Russia were “very close to an agreement.”
Trump said in a publication on social networks while flying back to the United States after Pope Francis’s funeral that “there was no reason for Putin to shoot missiles to civil areas, cities and towns, in recent days.” Trump hinted more sanctions against Russia.
“It makes me think that perhaps he does not want to stop war, he is just taking advantage of me and has to be treated differently, through” banking “or” secondary sanctions “? Too many people are dying!” Trump wrote.
Trump previously on Saturday met briefly at the Vatican with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy before the Pope’s funeral.
It was the first face to face between Trump and the Ukrainian leader since they argued during a heated oval office meeting at the White House at the end of February.
Zelenskyy’s office had said that the teams were making arrangements so that the leaders speak again on Saturday, but Trump went directly to the airport of Rome after the funeral and boarded Air Force One for the 10 -hour flight return to the United States, which seemed to rule out a second conversation in person. Zelenskyy spokesman Serhii NykyForov said Trump and Zelenskyy did not meet again due to their tight schedules.
Zelenskyy said “good meeting” on social networks after funeral.
“We discuss a one by one. Waiting for results in everything we cover. Protecting the life of our people. The high and unconditional fire. Reliable and lasting peace that will prevent another war from exploding,” he said in X. “Very symbolic meetings that have potential to become historical, if we achieve joint results. Thank you.”
The White House described the discussion as “very productive” and said it would release more details later. The meeting lasted about 15 minutes within the Basilica of San Pedro in the Vatican, where Francis often preached the need for a peaceful end for war, just before Trump and Zelenskyy take their seats at the funeral outdoors.
A long time ago, the Vatican had offered to help facilitate peace and Francis conversations had regularly requested the peace and dialogue of the Basilica altar. That Trump and Zelenskyy spoke privately, face to face and hunched over the chairs on the vesenic floors of the Pope’s house, the day of his funeral, it was perhaps an adequate way to honor his wishes.
The meeting met hours after Trump said on social networks, after arriving in Italy on Friday night, that Russia and Ukraine should meet for “very high level conversations” at the end of the three -year war that was caused by the invasion of Russia.
Trump has pressed both parties to quickly reach an agreement to end the war, but while Zelenskyy agreed an American plan for an initial arrest of 30 days to hostilities, Russia has not registered and has continued to attack the objectives within Ukraine.
The flood of missiles and unmanned aircraft of last week of kyiv who killed at least 12 people led Trump to appeal on social networks so that Russian President Vladimir Putin would end the attacks on the capital of Ukraine.
“Vladimir, hold!” Trump wrote.
Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, had gathered earlier Friday with Putin in Moscow, and Trump said both parties were “very close to an agreement.”
Putin did not attend Francis’s funeral. He faces an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court, which accused him of war crimes derived from the Moscow invasion of Ukraine.
Meanwhile, in a statement on Friday night, Zelenskyy said that “very significant meetings can take place” in the next few days, and that the unconditional fire was needed.
“A real pressure on Russia is needed to accept the American proposal to cease fire and move towards peace, or our proposal, anyone who can really work and guarantee a reliable, immediate and unconditional fire, and then a worthy guarantee of peace and security,” he said.
“Diplomacy must succeed. And we are doing everything possible to make diplomacy really significant and finally effective.”
Saturday’s meeting also occurred shortly after Trump issued his most definitive statement to date on the need for Ukraine to resign Russia to close the war. He said in an interview with Time magazine published Friday that “Crimea will stay with Russia.”
Russia confiscated the strategic peninsula throughout the Black Sea in southern Ukraine in 2014, years before the large -scale invasion that began in 2022. Zelenskyy wants to recover Crimea and other Ukrainian territory seized by Russia, but Trump considers that he demands that he is not realistic.
Referring to Crimea during the interview, which was conducted at the White House on Tuesday, Trump said: “Everyone understands that he has been with them for a long time,” Russia means.
