ROME (AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday referred to as for Ukraine and Russia to satisfy for “very high level talks,” saying they’re “very close to a deal” on ending the bloody three-year warfare.
Trump posted on his Fact Social web site shortly after arriving in Rome for Pope Francis’ funeral that it was a “good day” of talks and conferences between the 2 sides. His envoy, Steve Witkoff, had made a go to to Moscow to satisfy with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday,
“They are very close to a deal, and the two sides should now meet, at very high levels, to ‘finish it off,’” Trump wrote. “Most of the major points are agreed to. Stop the bloodshed, NOW. We will be wherever is necessary to help facilitate the END to this cruel and senseless war!”
Trump’s announcement adopted him saying in an interview printed Friday that “Crimea will stay with Russia,” the newest instance of how he has been pressuring Ukraine to make concessions to finish the warfare whereas the nation stays below siege.
He additionally earlier demanded on social media that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “IMMEDIATELY” signal a long-delayed settlement giving the US entry to his nation’s mineral assets.
Progress on ending the warfare has appeared elusive within the months since Trump returned to the White Home, and his earlier claims of imminent breakthroughs have failed to come back to fruition. Russia continued its bombardment of Ukraine on Friday, killing three folks with a drone strike on an residence constructing in a southeastern metropolis.
Regardless of a uncommon admonishment of Putin this week, Trump’s focus has largely been on urging Zelenskyy to chop a deal that might contain ceding territory to Ukraine’s invader. In an interview with Time journal, Trump described Crimea as a spot the place Russia has “had their submarines” and “the people speak largely Russian.”
“Crimea will stay with Russia,” Trump stated. “And Zelensky understands that, and everybody understands that it’s been with them for a long time. It’s been with them long before Trump came along.”
When requested by reporters, Zelenskyy stated he didn’t need to touch upon Trump’s assertion however repeated, as he has many occasions in the course of the warfare, that recognizing occupied Ukrainian territory as Russian is a crimson line for his nation.
Crimea is a strategic peninsula alongside the Black Sea in southern Ukraine. It was seized by Russia in 2014, whereas President Barack Obama was in workplace, years earlier than Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor in 2022.
Disagreements over subsequent steps
Trump has been accusing Zelenskyy of prolonging the warfare by resisting negotiations with Putin. Western European leaders, nevertheless, have accused Putin of dragging his toes within the negotiations and looking for to seize extra Ukrainian land whereas his military has battlefield momentum.
The warfare could possibly be approaching a pivotal second because the Trump administration weighs its choices. Senior U.S. officers had warned that the administration may quickly surrender makes an attempt to cease the warfare if the 2 sides didn’t come to a settlement. That might probably imply a halt of essential U.S. navy support for Ukraine.
Chatting with reporters Friday as he left the White Home to attend the funeral of Pope Francis in Rome, Trump stated there was no deadline for the conclusion of peace talks.
“I just want to do it as fast as possible,” Trump stated. Negotiators are “pretty close” to a deal, he stated.
He promised to satisfy with international leaders whereas in Rome, and stated it was “possible” he may meet with Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy stated late Friday, nevertheless, that he was unsure he would make it to Rome in time for the funeral.
Witkoff’s assembly with Putin on Friday was their second assembly this month and the fourth since February. Witkoff’s journey coincided with the dying of a senior Russian navy officer in a automotive bomb close to Moscow.
The Kremlin launched a brief video of Putin and Witkoff greeting one another. “How are you, Mr. President?” Witkoff could possibly be heard saying. “Fine, just fine, thank you,” Putin responded in uncommon remarks in English, as the 2 shook fingers.
Putin’s international coverage aide Yuri Ushakov, who attended the talks, stated the assembly lasted three hours and was “constructive” and “useful.” Additional talks are anticipated, he stated.
Putin and Witkoff mentioned, “in particular, the possibility of resuming direct negotiations between representatives of the Russian Federation and Ukraine,” based on Ushakov. Delegations from the 2 international locations final met within the weeks following Russia’s February 2022 invasion of its neighbor.
Russian International Minister Sergey Lavrov stated in an interview with CBS’ “Face the Nation” that he agreed with Trump’s opinion that negotiations “are moving in the right direction.”
Russia, he stated earlier than Trump’s publish late Friday, is “ready to reach a deal, but there are still some specific points — elements of this deal which need to be fine-tuned.” He declined to supply additional particulars, based on excerpts of the interview that may air Sunday.
Russia’s assaults declare extra lives
In the meantime, Russia has continued its bombardment of Ukraine. A drone struck an residence constructing in a southeastern Ukraine metropolis, killing three folks and injuring 10 others, officers stated Friday, a day after Trump rebuked Putin for a main missile and drone assault on Kyiv that killed 12 folks and injured 87.
A toddler and a 76-year-old lady had been among the many civilians killed within the nighttime drone strike in Pavlohrad, in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk area, the pinnacle of the regional administration, Serhii Lysak, wrote on Telegram.
Russian forces fired 103 Shahed and decoy drones at 5 Ukrainian areas in a single day, Ukraine’s air drive reported. Authorities within the northeastern Sumy and Kharkiv areas reported harm to civilian infrastructure however no casualties.
Russian forces used Thursday’s assault on Kyiv as cowl to launch nearly 150 assaults on Ukrainian positions alongside the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) entrance line, Zelenskyy stated late Thursday.
“When the maximum of our forces was focused on defense against missiles and drones, the Russians went on to significantly intensify their ground attacks,” he wrote on Telegram.
Zelenskyy famous Thursday that Ukraine agreed to a U.S. ceasefire proposal 44 days in the past, as a primary step to a negotiated peace, however that Russian assaults continued.
Throughout latest talks, Russia hit the town of Sumy, killing greater than 30 civilians gathered to have fun Palm Sunday, battered Odesa with drones and blasted Zaporizhzhia with highly effective glide bombs.
Megerian reported from Washington and Novikov reported from Kyiv, Ukraine.
