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 may be reached quickly. Solely a day earlier, Trump had stated Ukraine and Russia had been “ very close to a deal.”
“There was no purpose 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 US 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 wish to cease the warfare, he’s simply tapping me alongside, and must be handled in another way, via “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 return 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 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. army 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 via on the menace — one thing even a few of his staunch Republican allies are actually pressuring him to do. Actually, when Trump introduced new international tariffs this month, one main financial 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 temporary assembly Saturday, Zelenskyy’s workplace had stated 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 the US.
Zelenskyy’s spokesperson, Serhii Nykyforov, stated Trump and Zelenskyy didn’t meet once more in individual due to their tight schedules.
Zelenskyy known as it a “good assembly” on social media after the funeral.
“We mentioned lots one on one. Hoping for outcomes on every little thing we coated. Defending lives of our folks. Full and unconditional ceasefire. Dependable and lasting peace that may stop one other warfare 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 develop into historic, if we obtain joint outcomes. Thanks.”
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 usually 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 provided to assist facilitate peace talks and Francis had usually known as for peace and dialogue from the altar of the basilica. That Trump and Zelenskyy spoke privately, nose to nose and hunched over on chairs on the marbled flooring of the pope’s house, on the day of his funeral, was maybe a becoming method 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 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 Court docket, which has accused him of warfare crimes stemming from Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
In the meantime, in a press release Friday night time, Zelenskyy stated “very important 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 fireplace and transfer in direction of peace, or our proposal — whichever one can actually work and guarantee a dependable, rapid, and unconditional ceasefire, after which — a dignified peace and safety ensures,” he stated.
“Diplomacy should succeed. And we’re doing every little thing to make diplomacy actually significant and at last efficient.”
The assembly Saturday additionally got here shortly after Trump had issued his most definitive assertion up to now in regards to the want for Ukraine to surrender territory to Russia to carry the warfare to a detailed. 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 throughout the interview, which was carried out on the White Home on Tuesday, Trump stated, “all people understands that it’s been with them for a very long time,” which means Russia.
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Madhani reported from Washington. Related Press journalists Nicole Winfield in Vatican Metropolis and Volodymyr Yurchuk in Kyiv, Ukraine, contributed to this report.
