ROME (AP) — President Donald Trump stated Saturday that he doubts Russia’s Vladimir Putin desires to finish his war in Ukraine, expressing new skepticism {that a} peace deal could be reached quickly. Solely a day earlier, Trump had stated Ukraine and Russia have been “ very close to a deal.”
“There was no cause for Putin to be capturing missiles into civilian areas, cities and cities, over the previous few days,” Trump stated in a social media publish as he flew again to the USA 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 assume that possibly he doesn’t need to cease the conflict, he’s simply tapping me alongside, and needs to be handled in a different way, by “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 conflict that started in February 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine.
The feedback additionally sharply contrasted with Trump’s constructive evaluation that the 2 sides have been “very near 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 Office meeting 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 contemplating” imposing new sanctions and tariffs on Russia to attempt to prod Putin to barter in earnest. Trump has not but adopted by on the risk — one thing even a few of his staunch Republican allies are actually pressuring him to do. In truth, 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 hardest of sanctions on Putin,” arguing there may be “clear proof that he’s enjoying America as a patsy.”
It’s the second time in a matter of days that Trump has rebuked Putin, whom the American president hardly ever 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 transient assembly Saturday, Zelenskyy’s workplace had stated the U.S. and Ukrainian groups have 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 Power One for the 10-hour flight again to the USA.
Zelenskyy’s spokesperson, Serhii Nykyforov, stated Trump and Zelenskyy didn’t meet once more in individual due to their tight schedules.
Zelenskyy referred to as it a “good assembly” on social media after the funeral.
“We mentioned lots one on one. Hoping for outcomes on every thing we coated. Defending lives of our individuals. Full and unconditional ceasefire. Dependable and lasting peace that can stop one other conflict from breaking out,” stated the Ukrainian chief, who additionally held talks Saturday with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. “Very symbolic assembly that has potential to turn into historic, if we obtain joint outcomes. Thanks.”
The White Home referred to 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 conflict, simply earlier than Trump and Zelenskyy took their seats on the out of doors funeral service.
The Vatican way back had provided to assist facilitate peace talks and Francis had commonly referred to 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 stated 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 conflict.
Neither Putin nor Zelenskyy have commented on Trump’s requires direct talks.
Trump has pressed each side to shortly come to an settlement to finish the conflict, 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 Felony Courtroom, which has accused him of conflict crimes stemming from Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
In the meantime, in an announcement Friday night time, Zelenskyy stated “very vital conferences might happen” within the coming days, and reiterated his requires an unconditional ceasefire.
“Actual stress on Russia is required in order that they settle for both the American proposal to stop hearth and transfer in the direction of peace, or our proposal — whichever one can actually work and guarantee a dependable, speedy, and unconditional ceasefire, after which — a dignified peace and safety ensures,” he stated.
“Diplomacy should succeed. And we’re doing every thing to make diplomacy actually significant and eventually efficient.”
The assembly Saturday additionally got here shortly after Trump had issued his most definitive assertion up to now concerning the want for Ukraine to surrender territory to Russia to carry the conflict to an in depth. He stated 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 wants 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 through the interview, which was performed on the White Home on Tuesday, Trump stated, “everyone understands that it’s been with them for a very long time,” which means Russia.
Madhani reported from Washington. Related Press journalists Nicole Winfield in Vatican Metropolis and Volodymyr Yurchuk in Kyiv, Ukraine, contributed to this report.
