Trump And Zelenskyy Hold ‘symbolic’ Talk Before Pope Francis’ Funeral

U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said for astir 15 minutes connected nan sidelines of Pope Francis’ ceremonial Saturday, April 26. It marked a stark opposition from nan 2 leaders’ past face-to-face speech –– nan now-infamous Oval Office meeting that was trim short backmost successful February.

The value of nan meeting’s clip and spot was surely not mislaid connected Zelenskyy, who called his chat pinch Trump astatine Pope Francis’ ceremonial “very symbolic.” The pontiff had agelong advocated for an extremity to nan warfare from nan very tract wherever nan 2 men spoke. The Vatican besides antecedently offered to thief agent a bid woody betwixt Russia and Ukraine.   

In a much wide sense, the White House called Saturday’s chat “very productive,” while Zelenskyy described it arsenic a “good meeting.”

Trump questions Putin’s good-faith negotiations

Trump, too, seemed sympathetic to nan Ukrainian cause, pursuing nan ceremonial and his chat pinch Zelenskyy. “There was nary logic for [Russian President Vladimir] Putin to beryllium shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, complete nan past fewer days,” Trump wrote connected societal media while flying backmost to nan U.S. from Rome. “It makes maine deliberation that possibly he doesn’t want to extremity nan war, he’s conscionable tapping maine along, and has to beryllium dealt pinch differently, done ‘Banking’ aliases ‘Secondary Sanctions?’ Too galore group are dying!!!”

The station signifies Trump’s increasing vexation pinch Putin, whom he addressed by his first sanction successful a station connected Truth Social Thursday, April 24, writing, “I americium not happy pinch nan Russian strikes connected Kyiv. Not basal and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP!”

Trump had antecedently floated nan thought of imposing much sanctions connected Russia arsenic it continues to evade a imaginable ceasefire agreement, though nary specified action has been taken. Some wrong nan GOP person called for stronger sanctions, including Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, who said location is “clear grounds that [Putin] is playing America arsenic a patsy,” according to nan Associated Press.

Peace negotiations turn progressively complex

All of this comes arsenic nan U.S. offered what it calls its “final offer” to some Ukraine and Russia connected Wednesday, April 23, which requires Ukraine to cede immoderate of nan territory Russia has occupied, going each nan measurement backmost to 2014. Then, connected Friday, April 25, U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Putin met successful Moscow, with Trump saying, “They are very adjacent to a deal, and nan 2 sides should now meet, astatine very precocious levels, to ‘finish it off.’”

Now, however, it’s unclear what nan position of a ceasefire statement mightiness entail, arsenic Zelenskyy has antecedently said his state will not relinquish immoderate of its territory, including Crimea, which Russia annexed successful 2014.

“Real unit connected Russia is needed truthful that they judge either nan American connection to cease occurrence and move towards peace, aliases our connection — whichever 1 tin genuinely activity and guarantee a reliable, immediate, and unconditional ceasefire, and past — a honorable bid and information guarantees,” Zelenskyy said successful a connection Friday.

Though nan Ukrainian president’s agency initially said that nan 2 leaders were owed to meet again Saturday, Zelenskyy’s spokesperson, Serhii Nykyforov, later said they were incapable to because of “tight schedules,” the Associated Press reports.   

Meanwhile, Putin did not be Francis’ ceremonial owed to an outstanding apprehension warrant from nan International Criminal Court, complete Moscow’s alleged warfare crimes successful Ukraine.