New Delhi:
US President Donald Trump has raised doubts about his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin’s willingness to end the war in Ukraine. Trump suggested Putin has been “tapping me along” and said the Russian leader “has to be dealt with differently.”
His remarks came after a brief meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during Pope Francis’s funeral in Rome, where the two leaders discussed the ongoing conflict and the possibility of peace.
In a Truth Social post after the meeting, Trump said that Putin’s actions indicate a lack of genuine interest in ending the war. “Maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through ‘Banking’ or ‘Secondary Sanctions?'” Trump wrote.
Overnight Thursday, Russia’s missile strike on Kyiv killed 12 and injured 87, following recent attacks on civilians in Sumy and elsewhere. Putin claimed Russia regained control of Kursk, a city Ukraine captured last August. Trump criticised the Russian missile attacks on Ukrainian cities, saying, “No reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas.”
Previously, Trump had suggested that Russia and Ukraine were “very close to a deal,” citing talks between his envoy Steve Witkoff and Putin. The Kremlin later confirmed Putin’s readiness for direct talks with Ukraine “without preconditions.”
Trump’s remarks followed a 15-minute conversation with Zelensky at St Peter’s Basilica, just before the funeral. The White House described the meeting as “very productive,” with Zelensky calling it “historic”. This was the first face-to-face meeting between the two leaders since a tense Oval Office encounter in February.
During their last meeting, Trump told Zelensky, “You don’t have the cards,” implying that Ukraine was not in a strong position to win the war. He said it again this week, saying that Zelensky had “no cards to play” and blaming Ukraine for the escalation of the conflict.
Trump has been putting significant pressure on Ukraine to support his peace efforts, even as that pushes Kyiv into uncomfortable concessions. Trump described Ukraine’s situation as “dire,” suggesting that Zelensky could either accept peace or risk losing the entire country in the next three years. He later said, “I think Russia is ready” for a peace deal.
Ukraine had supported Trump’s plan for a month-long ceasefire to negotiate peace, but Russia rejected it in favour of a limited ceasefire targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
Reports indicate that Trump’s team may consider recognising Crimea as part of Russia, acknowledging Russia’s control over four Ukrainian regions, promising that Ukraine will not join NATO, and lifting sanctions. Trump argued Thursday, “Stopping the war, stopping from taking the whole country, pretty big concession” on Russia’s part.
