Trump adopts tough rhetoric on Putin following meeting with Zelenskiy
Russian President Vladimir Putin should not be bombing civilian areas in Ukraine, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday, adding that secondary sanctions on Russia might be necessary in response.
“There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days. It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war,” Trump posted on the Truth Social platform after Pope Francis’s funeral service.
“He’s just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through ‘Banking’ or ‘Secondary Sanctions?’ Too many people are dying!!!”
Following Trump’s remarks, Republican U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham said the Senate is poised to move forward on bipartisan legislation that would impose trade sanctions on countries that purchase Russian oil, gas, and other products.
“The Senate stands ready to move in this direction and will do so overwhelmingly if Russia does not embrace an honorable, just, and enduring peace,” Graham posted on X.
Prior to that, the US president and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy, met one-on-one in a marble-lined Vatican basilica before the funeral began.
The pair met privately and had a “very productive discussion,” a White House official said. Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, posted on X that the conversation was “constructive.”
Zelenskyy posted on X to thank Trump, calling it a “very symbolic meeting that has potential to become historic, if we achieve joint results.”
“We discussed a lot one on one. Hoping for results on everything we covered. Protecting lives of our people. Full and unconditional ceasefire. Reliable and lasting peace that will prevent another war from breaking out,” he wrote.
After a round of shuttle diplomacy this week, differences have emerged between the position of the Trump White House on peace talks and the stance of Ukraine and its European allies, according to documents from the talks obtained by Reuters.
Washington is proposing a legal recognition that Crimea is a Russian territory, something that Kyiv and its allies in Europe say is a red line they will not cross.
There are also differences on how quickly sanctions on Russia would be lifted if a peace deal was signed, what kind of security guarantees Ukraine would have, and how Ukraine would be financially compensated.
