American president Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, met on Saturday before Pope Francis' funeral, with Trump later expressing a doubt of Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war.
The Trump-Zelenskyy conversation on the touch of the pope's funeral was the first face-to-face meeting between the two leaders since they had an oval office exchange heated to the White House in February.
In the historical photos made public by the Ukrainian government, the two leaders are seen seated by each other, in the eye, in the Saint-Pierre basilica.
Zelenskyy described it as “a very symbolic meeting which has the potential to become historic if the joint results are obtained”.
“We have discussed a lot of mind. Hoping for results on everything we have covered,” said Zelenskyy in an article on X, adding that “protecting the life of our people. A complete and unconditional cease-fire. A reliable and lasting peace that will prevent another war from struggling.”
The direct and impromptu meeting of the two leaders contrasts strongly with the public snipes of the last days, which put hope at the end of the Russian war against Ukraine.
However, while Trump left the Pope's funeral, the American president on social networks expressed new skepticism that a peace agreement could be concluded soon.
Trump Double on Putin Rebuke
Trump said in an article that “there was no reason for Putin to draw missiles in civil areas, cities and cities in recent days.
“It makes me think that he may not want to stop war; It simply makes me support and must be treated differently, by “bank” or “secondary sanctions”. Too many people die !!! “The American leader wrote.
Trump's doubts come as he and his superior assistants intensify the efforts to conclude an agreement that will end the war, which is now in his fourth year.
His latest comments also contrasts with the positive evaluation he made on Friday, saying that the two parties were “very close to an agreement” after the meeting of us, Special sent Witkoff, with Putin in Moscow.
Putin, who faces an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for Crimes against Humanity in the Ukraine War, did not attend the funeral of Pope Francis.
In recent months, Moscow has increased its attacks on Ukraine. On Thursday, there was an attack on the Ukrainian capital, kyiv, who killed at least 12 people.
Since the start of the Russian war against Ukraine in February 2022, Moscow has taken control of the Ukrainian territory in the regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.
Crimea, a strategic peninsula along the Black Sea in the south of Ukraine which was seized by Russia in 2014, has become one of the territories that Trump suggested that Ukraine should abandon in his peace plan to end the war.
ADVERTISEMENTPresident Zelenskyy promised not to give up any Ukrainian territory, saying that it was against the Ukrainian Constitution.
Additional sources • AP
