US President Donald Trump wondered whether Russian President Vladimir Putin wanted the peace agreement shortly after Ukrainian President Folodimir Zellinsky in the Vatican minutes before the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday (26).
The event was representing The first face -the interface meeting between Trump And Zelensky since the meeting in White House in FebruaryWhen the president and the other American authorities publicly criticize Zelinski for his lack of gratitude enough to American support and commented briefly sending weapons and sharing intelligence information.
Since then, the White House has been increasingly struggling to reach a peace agreement in Ukraine.
The photos released by the Ukrainian presidency showed that the two leaders gathered in a fierce discussion, without consultants, in the decorative oceans in Sao Pedro Bazilica.
Zelensky thanked Trump for the “Good Meeting” in a post on social networks.
“We discussed a lot individually. Waiting to wait for everything we are close,” Zelinski wrote. Protecting the lives of our people. Total and unconditional shooting. A reliable and permanent peace that would prevent the outbreak of another war. A very symbolic meeting with the possibility to become historical if we achieve the results of the joint.
A White House spokesman, who accompanied Trump, said that the two leaders “met in particular today and were being discussed very fruitful.” Both Zelensky and Trump officials said that the meeting lasted for about 15 minutes and that the leaders agreed to continue the negotiations.
In a post on the social truth, he was sent upon returning from Rome after the meeting, Trump has sparked the ability to apply new sanctions to Russia yet Kyiv attack a week In the past, the question about whether Putin will be interested in peace.
“There was no reason to expel Putin missiles against civilian areas, cities and villages in recent days,” Trump wrote. “This makes me think that he may not want to stop the war, it only encourages me and must be treated differently through” banking penalties “or” secondary penalties “? Many people die !!!”
The coordination of the Pope’s funeral also allowed the conversation between Trump and Zelinski
The meeting was held in front of the baptism chapel, located inside the Church of St. Peter, near the entrance, and the conversation was not given in advance.
Before the president’s short visit to Rome, the authorities reduced the possibility of meeting Zelinski or any other international leader, pointing to the low timeline of the trip and its official purpose of honoring the late Pope.
Trump initially chose Saudi Arabia for his first station abroad in his new term and will visit the country next month. But with the death of Francis, these plans changed, instead, Trump stopped abroad in Europe, a continent in which it is often manifested.
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 had a brief meeting with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Lin, who had not spoken to him since he returned to his position in commercially and defended conflicts with the European Union.
The seat protocol – which was organized 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 on the funeral mass (Foreign Minister Ukraine also published a picture of the Macron and Zellinski meeting on Saturday).
US participation in negotiations
The United States was pressing more on Ukraine after its threat, last week, leaving the negotiations “within a few days” if it is clear that it could not be achieved.
Trump said on Friday that Russia and Ukraine were “very close to an agreement” that would end the conflict, which Russia began in 2014 and intensified with the invasion of the neighbor in 2022.
“A good day for conversations and meetings with Russia and Ukraine. They are very close to an agreement, and the two parties must now meet at high levels for” ending the conflict, “Trump wrote on the social truth after landing in Rome to the funeral of Pope Francis.
Trump’s special envoy, Steve Whitkov, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin for three hours on Friday, according to Russian presidential advisor Yuri Ushakov, who said the talks were “very constructive and useful”.
Before Kyiv leaving to Rome on Friday, Zelinski suggested a series of obligations to make peace negotiations.
“In the coming days, very important meetings can occur – meetings that must deal with silence through Ukraine,” he said.
“We are ready for dialogue, and I confirm again, in any way with anyone,” he said, but only after a real sign that Russia is ready to end the war. Such a sign is a complete and unconditional launch stop. “
Kiev and Moscow have not met directly since the first weeks of Moscow’s invasion of his minor in February 2022. Any direct conversation may require other discussions and delay in diplomacy that Trump’s government expected to achieve results within days.
Before Ukraine will not join NATO in the near future, he said: “I think we need to be pragmatic. We need to understand what guarantees the safety that Ukraine needs.”
Zelinski said that these guarantees may include a military division from Europe and what it called Backstop from the United States.
“For us, forces should not necessarily be on Ukrainian lands,” Zelinski said, but it may include electronic defense, “and above all, national air defense systems.”
On Thursday, Kyiv was injured The largest wave of attacks With Russian missiles since July last year. Twelve people died.
The “agreement with Ukraine” still faces obstacles
Zelinski also spoke on Friday about what he called the “constructive” proposals prepared 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 “Strong safety guaranteesIncluding the United States … as long as there is no consensus among allies on NATO commitment. “This will be similar to that of Article 5 of NATO, according to which all members are required to help the attacking state.
Part of the draft that is likely to be stabbed by Moscow explains that “the warranty countries will be a dedicated group of European countries and non -European countries ready to do so.” 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 armed forces.
The draft states that negotiations on the region will begin after the ceasefire enters, and its starting point will be the current lines. But he adds that Ukraine will resume control of the Zaporizehzia nuclear factory, which has been operated by Russian forces since March 2022.
Regarding the proposed metal agreement between the United States and Ukraine, which will allow the United States to reach billions of dollars in rare minerals, the draft stipulates that Ukraine is completely financially compensated, including through Russian assets that will remain frozen until Russia compensates for the damage caused by Ukraine.
Moscow is likely to oppose this.
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.
Zelinski rejected the idea, saying that “there was nothing to argue”, because this recognition would be against the constitution of Ukraine. “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 This week, Trump was frustrated by stopping negotiations and ordering advisers to mediate an agreement that was more difficult than what was expected.
Negotiations took place on Saturday after Putin announced that Russia had resumed control of Corsak, the border area in which Ukraine launched a sudden attack last year.
“The adventure of the Kiev regime has completely failed,” Putin said, and they congratulated the Russian forces, who said that the Ukrainian army was defeated in the region.
There was no immediate reaction from Kyiv to Putin’s claim CNN It is not possible to independently verify the battlefield reports.
