US President Donald Trump asked whether Russian leader Vladimir Putin wanted a peace agreement shortly after his meeting with the Ukrainian Zelensky in Vatikan minutes after the start of the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday (26).
History represents the first personal meeting between Trump and Zelinski since a catastrophic meeting at the White House in February, when the president and other American officials reprimanded Zeilinski publicly for their lack of gratitude enough to support us and Arms shipments were briefly suspended and intelligence shared.
Since then, the White House has been making increasingly urgent efforts Close a peace agreement in Ukraine.
The photographs released by the Ukrainian presidency showed the two gathering leaders, without consultants, in the surrounding areas of Sao Pedro Basilica.
Zelensky thanked Trump for the “Good Meeting” in a post on social networks.
“We discussed a lot, face to face. Hoping of the results in everything we approached,” Zelinski wrote.
Protecting the lives of our people. The total and unconditional shooting. Baz Reliable and permanent would prevent another war from Ecloda. A very symbolic meeting with the possibility of becoming historic if we achieve common results. “
A White House spokesman, accompanying Trump, said that the two leaders “met in particular today and were being discussed very fruitful.”
The authorities said to both Zelensky and Trump that the meeting lasted for about 15 minutes, and the leaders agreed to continue the negotiations.
In a post on the social truth that was sent upon returning from Rome after the meeting, Trump raised the possibility of applying new sanctions to Russia after his attack on Kiev last week, wondering whether Putin was interested in peace.
“There has been no reason for Putin to shoot missiles against civilian areas, cities and villages in recent days,” Trump wrote.
“This makes me think that he may not want to stop war, just encourages me and needs different treatment through” banks “or” secondary penalties “? Many people die !!!”
Vatican meeting
The meeting was held outside the baptism chapel, located inside Bazilica St. Peter, near the entrance, and the lecture was not given in advance.
Before the short visit of the US President to Rome, the authorities reduced the possibility of meeting Zelinski or any other international leader, pointing to the decrease in the deadline of the trip and its official purpose of honoring the late Pope.
Trump initially chose the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as his first station abroad during his new term, and will visit the country next month. But with the death of Francis, these plans changed, instead, Trump stopped the first stop abroad in Europe, a continent that has often demonstrated.
The map of the seat and many other leaders have enabled brief reactions, including the leaders that Trump apparently avoided since he took office.
He spoke shortly to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Lin, who has not spoken to him since his return to office amid commercial and defensive conflicts with the European Union.
The seat protocol – which was organized in the alphabetical order in the name of the country in French – is dictated by Trump’s position alongside the Estonian and Finnish leaders who interacted with them for a short period.
In other cases, Trump exchanged kindness with other leaders who were working on parallel efforts to help resolve the war in Ukraine.
French President Emmanuel Macron was pressured during the peace brand in the funeral mass (Foreign Minister Ukraine also published a picture of the Macron and Zellinski meeting on Saturday).
The United States in negotiations
The United States was pressing Ukraine more after its threat last week that it would give up negotiations “within a few days” if it is clear that an agreement could not be reached.
Trump He said on Friday Russia and Ukraine are “very close to an agreement” that would end the conflict, which Russia began in 2014 and intensified with the great invasion of the neighbor in 2022.
President Steve Whitkov’s special envoy met for three hours on Friday, according to Russian presidential advisor Yuri Oshkov, who said the talks were “very constructive and useful.”
Before Kyiv leaving for Rome, Zelinski suggested a series of obligations to make peace negotiations.
“In the coming days, very important meetings may occur – meetings close to silence across Ukraine,” he said.
“We are ready for dialogue, and I am emphasized again, in any way and with anyone,” he said, but after a real sign that Russia is ready to end the war.
Kiev and Moscow have not met personally since the first weeks of the Russian invasion of his minor in February 2022.
Any conversation will probably require more discussions and delay in diplomacy that Trump expects results within days.
With the realization that Ukraine will not join NATO in the near future, Zelinski said: “I think we need to be pragmatic. We need to understand what Ukraine needs to guarantee safety.”
Zelinski said these guarantees may include a military division from Europe and what he called “protection” from the United States.
“For us, it is not necessarily necessary to provide support by the forces on Ukrainian lands,” Zelinski said, but it may include the electronic defense, “and above all, the national air defense systems.”
On Thursday, Kyiv was injured A wave larger than Russian missile attacks since July last year. Twelve people died.
Obstacle
Zelinski also spoke on Friday about what he called the “constructive” proposals in London this week between the Ukrainian and European authorities.
A copy of these proposals was obtained by Reuters. It is entitled “Employees of the Agreement with Ukraine”, which suggests a complete and unconditional ceasefire in the air, on the ground and at the sea, as Ukraine previously agreed to it.
The United States will lead the ceasefire monitoring with the support of the third countries, according to Reuters draft Reuters. the CNN It confirmed its content.
The draft suggested that Ukraine receive “solid security guarantees, including the United States of America … so that there is a consensus between the allies on commitment to NATO.”
These guarantees will be similar to those of Article 5 of NATO, according to which all members are required to help the attacking state.
“The warranty countries will be a dedicated group of European countries and non -European countries ready to do so,” says part of the project that is likely to be stabbed by Moscow.
There will be no “restrictions on the presence, weapons, and operations of the friendly foreign forces in the territory of Ukraine”, nor the size of the Ukrainian army.
The draft expects that regional negotiations will start after the ceasefire enters, and the starting point will be the current front lines. However, he adds that Ukraine will resume control of the Zaporizehzia nuclear factory, which has been occupied by Russian forces since March 2022.
Regarding the proposed metal agreement between the United States and Ukraine, which will allow the United States access to billions of dollars of rare minerals, the draft says that Ukraine will be financially compensated, even through Russian origins that will remain frozen until Russia compensates for the damage to Ukraine.
Moscow is likely to oppose it as well.
Do not mention the draft Reuters specifically Crimea. The Wittouf plan suggested that the United States recognize the Crimea as part of Russia, but it did not indicate that Ukraine also needed this.
The realization of Russian control of the Crimea, illegally linked by Moscow in 2014, would cross an important red line for Ukraine and its European allies, and violates the applicable international law.
Zelensky rejected the idea, noting that there was nothing “to discuss”, because this recognition would be contrary to the Ukrainian constitution.
“I agree with President Trump that Ukraine does not have enough weapons to resume control of the crime peninsula for the power of weapons. But the world has opportunities for sanctions and other economic pressures,” he told reporters on Friday.
A CNN I mentioned this week Trump was frustrated As the negotiations stopped and told the advisers that the mediation in an agreement was more difficult than what was expected.
Negotiations occurred on Saturday when Putin announced that Russia was It has been recovered or controlledThe border area where Ukraine A sudden attack was launched last year.
“The adventure of the Kiev regime has completely failed,” Putin said, and congratulated the Russian forces that defeated the Ukrainian army in region.
But the employees of the armed forces in Ukraine said in a publication on a telegram that Putin’s claim “was not true.”
“The defensive operation of the Ukrainian Defense Forces continues in the areas specified in the Kursk region. The operational situation is difficult, but our units continue to maintain their locations and perform the tasks allocated to them.”
A CNN It is not possible to independently verify the battlefield reports.
Trump says that the two countries until July are to close the definitions agreement
