ROME (AP) — President Donald Trump mentioned Saturday that he doubts Russia’s Vladimir Putin needs to finish his warfare in Ukraine, expressing new skepticism {that a} peace deal might be reached quickly. Solely a day earlier, Trump had mentioned Ukraine and Russia had been “ very close to a deal.”
“There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days,” Trump mentioned in a social media submit as he flew again to america after attending Pope Francis’ funeral on the Vatican, the place he met briefly with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Trump additionally hinted at additional sanctions in opposition to Russia.
“It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through “Banking” or “Secondary Sanctions?” Too many individuals are dying!!!” Trump wrote.
The brand new doubts aired by Trump come because the president and high aides intensify their push to come back to a deal to finish the warfare that started in February 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine.
The feedback additionally sharply contrasted with Trump’s optimistic evaluation that the 2 sides had been “very close to a deal” after his particular envoy, Steve Witkoff, had met with Putin in Moscow on Friday.
The Trump-Zelenskyy dialog on the sidelines of the pope’s funeral was the primary face-to-face encounter between the 2 leaders since they argued throughout a heated Oval Workplace assembly on the White Home in late February. That confrontation led to the White Home to briefly pause U.S. navy help and intelligence sharing with Ukraine.
Days after ordering the pause, Trump additionally introduced he was “strongly considering” imposing new sanctions and tariffs on Russia to attempt to prod Putin to barter in earnest. Trump has not but adopted by means of on the risk — one thing even a few of his staunch Republican allies at the moment are pressuring him to do. Actually, when Trump introduced new world tariffs this month, one main economic system that he didn’t goal was Russia’s.
U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, on Friday urged Trump to “put the toughest of sanctions on Putin,” arguing there’s “clear evidence that he is playing America as a patsy.”
It’s the second time in a matter of days that Trump has rebuked Putin, whom the American president not often publicly criticizes.
On Thursday, Trump publicly urged the Russian chief to “STOP!” after a lethal barrage of assaults on Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital.
After their temporary assembly Saturday, Zelenskyy’s workplace had mentioned the U.S. and Ukrainian groups had been making preparations for the leaders to speak once more Saturday. However Trump went on to the Rome airport after the funeral and boarded Air Drive One for the 10-hour flight again to america.
Zelenskyy’s spokesperson, Serhii Nykyforov, mentioned Trump and Zelenskyy didn’t meet once more in individual due to their tight schedules.
Zelenskyy known as it a “good meeting” on social media after the funeral.
“We discussed a lot one on one. Hoping for results on everything we covered. Protecting lives of our people. Full and unconditional ceasefire. Reliable and lasting peace that will prevent another war from breaking out,” mentioned the Ukrainian chief, who additionally held talks Saturday with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. “Very symbolic meeting that has potential to become historic, if we achieve joint results. Thank you.”
The White Home known as the dialogue “very productive.” The assembly lasted about quarter-hour inside St. Peter’s Basilica on the Vatican, the place Francis typically preached the necessity for a peaceable finish to the warfare, simply earlier than Trump and Zelenskyy took their seats on the out of doors funeral service.
The Vatican way back had supplied to assist facilitate peace talks and Francis had often known as for peace and dialogue from the altar of the basilica. That Trump and Zelenskyy spoke privately, head to head and hunched over on chairs on the marbled flooring of the pope’s dwelling, on the day of his funeral, was maybe a becoming solution to honor his needs.
Trump mentioned on social media, after he arrived in Italy late Friday, that Russia and Ukraine ought to meet for “very high level talks” on ending the warfare.
Neither Putin nor Zelenskyy have commented on Trump’s requires direct talks.
Trump has pressed either side to shortly come to an settlement to finish the warfare, however whereas Zelenskyy agreed to an American plan for an preliminary 30-day halt to hostilities, Russia has not signed on and has continued to strike at targets inside Ukraine.
Putin didn’t attend Francis’ funeral. He faces an arrest warrant issued by the Worldwide Prison Courtroom, which has accused him of warfare crimes stemming from Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
In the meantime, in an announcement Friday night time, Zelenskyy mentioned “very significant meetings may take place” within the coming days, and reiterated his requires an unconditional ceasefire.
“Real pressure on Russia is needed so that they accept either the American proposal to cease fire and move towards peace, or our proposal — whichever one can truly work and ensure a reliable, immediate, and unconditional ceasefire, and then — a dignified peace and security guarantees,” he mentioned.
“Diplomacy must succeed. And we are doing everything to make diplomacy truly meaningful and finally effective.”
The assembly Saturday additionally got here shortly after Trump had issued his most definitive assertion so far concerning the want for Ukraine to surrender territory to Russia to convey the warfare to an in depth. He mentioned in a Time journal interview revealed Friday that “Crimea will stay with Russia.”
Russia seized the strategic peninsula alongside the Black Sea in southern Ukraine in 2014, years earlier than the full-scale invasion that started in 2022. Zelenskyy needs to regain Crimea and different Ukrainian territory seized by Russia, however Trump considers that demand to be unrealistic.
Russia has additionally seized Ukrainian territory within the Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson areas since invading in February 2022.
Referring to Crimea throughout the interview, which was performed on the White Home on Tuesday, Trump mentioned, “everybody understands that it’s been with them for a long time,” that means Russia.
Madhani reported from Washington. Related Press journalists Nicole Winfield in Vatican Metropolis and Volodymyr Yurchuk in Kyiv, Ukraine, contributed to this report.
