Trump takes tough tone in Putin post after 'productive' meeting with Zelenskyy while at Pope's funeral

Thomson Reuters

· Posted: Apr 26, 2025 12:26 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 infinitesimal ago

U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, successful Vatican City for the ceremonial of Pope Francis, met 1 connected 1 successful a marble-lined basilica connected Saturday to effort to revive faltering efforts to extremity the Russia-Ukraine war.

Zelenskyy said the gathering could beryllium historical if it delivers the benignant of bid helium is hoping for, and a White House spokesperson called it "very productive."

The 2 leaders, leaning successful adjacent to each different with nary aides astir them portion seated successful St. Peter's Basilica, spoke for astir 15 minutes, according to Zelenskyy's office. Images of the gathering were released by Kyiv and Washington.

It's the archetypal gathering betwixt the 2 presidents since an aggravated brushwood successful the Oval Office successful Washington, D.C., in February and comes astatine a captious clip successful negotiations to extremity the war.

'Too galore radical are dying,' writes Trump

After Pope Francis's ceremonial work successful St. Peter's Square, Trump boarded Air Force One and departed Rome. While successful the air, helium published a societal media station that took a pugnacious code connected Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"There was nary crushed for Putin to beryllium shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, implicit the past fewer days," Trump posted connected Truth Social. Twelve radical were killed connected Thursday erstwhile a rocket fired by Russia deed a Kyiv flat block.

"It makes maine deliberation that possibly helium doesn't privation to halt the war, he's conscionable tapping maine along, and has to beryllium dealt with differently, done 'Banking' oregon 'Secondary Sanctions?' Too galore radical are dying!!!" Trump wrote.

Trump's station was a departure from his accustomed rhetoric, which has seen the toughest disapproval directed astatine Zelenskyy portion he's spoken positively astir Putin.

In a station connected societal media level Telegram, Zelenskyy wrote: "Good meeting. One-on-one, we managed to sermon a lot. We anticipation for a effect from each the things that were spoken about."

Zelenskyy acknowledgment Trump aft 'symbolic' meeting

The Ukraine president said those topics included: "The extortion of the lives of our people. A implicit and unconditional ceasefire. A reliable and lasting bid that volition forestall a recurrence of war."

Zelenskyy added: "It was a precise symbolic gathering that has the imaginable to go historical if we execute associated results. Thank you, President Donald Trump!"

In a photograph released by Zelenskyy's office, the Ukrainian and U.S. leaders were sitting opposite each different successful a hallway of the basilica, astir fractional a metre apart, and leaning successful toward each different successful conversation. No aides could beryllium seen successful the image.

In a 2nd photograph, from the aforesaid location, Zelenskyy, Trump, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron were shown lasting successful a choky huddle. Macron had his manus connected Zelenskyy's shoulder.

After Trump and Zelenskyy met successful the basilica, the 2 men joined different satellite leaders extracurricular successful St. Peter's Square astatine the ceremonial ceremonial for Pope Francis, who made the pursuit of peace, including successful Ukraine, a motif of his papacy.

Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, who gave the sermon astatine the ceremonial service, recalled however Francis didn't stop raising his dependable to telephone for negotiations to extremity conflicts.

"War ever leaves the satellite worse than it was before: it is ever a achy and tragic decision for everyone," the cardinal said.

Differences implicit territory

Trump has been pressing some Moscow and Kyiv to hold to a ceasefire and bid deal. He had antecedently warned his medication would locomotion distant from its efforts to execute bid if the 2 sides didn't hold to a woody soon.

After a circular of shuttle diplomacy this week, differences person emerged betwixt the presumption of the Trump White House connected bid talks and the stance of Ukraine and its European allies, according to documents from the talks that were obtained by Reuters.

Washington is proposing a ineligible designation that Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula annexed by Moscow successful 2014, is Russian territory, thing Kyiv and its allies successful Europe accidental is simply a reddish enactment they won't cross.

There are besides differences connected however rapidly sanctions connected Russia would beryllium lifted if a bid woody was signed, what benignant of information guarantees Ukraine would have and however Ukraine would beryllium financially compensated.

Trump and Zelenskyy person had a rocky idiosyncratic relationship. At their Oval Office gathering earlier this year, Trump accused the Ukrainian person of "gambling with World War Three."

WATCH l Putin's tactics could frustrate U.S., analysts say: 

Since then, Kyiv has tried to repair relations, but the barbs person continued.

Zelenskyy has said Trump was trapped successful a "disinformation bubble" that favoured Moscow, portion the U.S. person accused Zelenskyy of foot-dragging connected a bid woody and making "inflammatory" statements.

However, Trump requires Zelenskyy's buy-in to execute his stated ambition of bringing a swift bid betwixt Russia and Ukraine, portion Kyiv needs Trump to unit Moscow into diluting immoderate of the much onerous conditions it has acceptable for a truce.

At the Oval Office meeting, a newsman from a blimpish U.S. quality web accused Zelenskyy of disrespecting the juncture by not wearing a suit.

Zelenskyy, since the commencement of Russia's full-scale penetration successful 2022, has eschewed suits successful favour of military-style attire, saying it is his mode of showing solidarity with those successful his state who are fighting to support Ukraine.

In Rome connected Saturday, Zelenskyy wore a acheronian shirt, buttoned up to the cervix with nary tie and topped with a acheronian military-style jacket.