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In a notable meeting on Saturday, U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy convened in Rome, coinciding with the funeral of Pope Francis. This marked their first in-person encounter since a previous Oval Office meeting that escalated into a heated argument.
During their exchange, Trump proposed the possibility of imposing stricter sanctions on Russia, raising doubts about President Vladimir Putin’s commitment to ending the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. “There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days,” Trump expressed in a post on Truth Social.
Trump’s skepticism over Putin’s intentions led him to consider whether a different approach, such as “Banking” or “Secondary Sanctions,” might be necessary to address the situation. He emphasized the urgency, stating, “Too many people are dying!!!”
The White House characterized the discussions between Trump and Zelenskyy as “very productive,” though specifics about their conversation were not disclosed.
Zelenskyy described the meeting as promising, stating it had the potential to become historic if it results in joint actions. “Very symbolic meeting that has potential to become historic, if we achieve joint results,” he noted.
Trump’s comments come amid his intensified efforts to facilitate a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia. Recently, he suggested a plan that would involve recognizing Russia’s control over Crimea, a significant sticking point, as Zelenskyy has firmly stated this is a non-negotiable issue.
In his Saturday post, Trump acknowledged that Russia’s annexation of Crimea was indeed an act of theft, which marks a rare admission from a sitting U.S. president. He criticized former President Barack Obama, arguing that his policies had allowed Russia to annex Crimea without resistance.
Earlier this month, Trump asserted that “Crimea will stay with Russia,” conveying that Zelenskyy and others recognize its historical ties to Russia. Zelenskyy quickly responded by reaffirming Ukraine’s claim to Crimea.
In further developments, Trump mentioned that both Russia and Ukraine are “very close to a deal” and indicated that high-level negotiations should proceed to finalize the agreement. He claimed that “most of the major points are agreed to,” suggesting that a resolution may be within reach.
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