Vatican Summit: Trump and Zelensky Discuss as President Trump Criticizes Putin for Allegedly Stalling on Peace Plan
In a significant development, President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met during the Pope Francis' funeral, marking their first encounter since their tumultuous White House clash. This meeting is being seen as a potential game-changer, with many hailing it as 'Trump's miracle' due to the tense relations between the two nations.
The meeting, according to White House Communications Director Steven Cheung, was 'very productive.' Subsequently, Zelensky took to Twitter expressing his hopes for 'results' from their discussions. He wrote, "Protecting lives of our people. Full and unconditional ceasefire. Reliable and lasting peace that will prevent another war from breaking out." He further emphasized, "The meeting has potential to become historic, if we achieve joint results."
The meeting between Trump and Zelensky comes at a crucial time as the U.S. endeavors to broker a peace deal with Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff at the Kremlin earlier this week for discussions regarding a potential U.S.-brokered peace plan for Ukraine.
Following their meeting at the Vatican, Donald Trump appeared to distance himself from Putin, accusing him of 'stringing him along' over peace talks. In a statement on Truth Social, Trump stated, "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, he's just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently."
Professor Father Francesco Giordano, who attended the Pope's funeral, characterized the day as a 'moving experience.' He highlighted Zelensky and Trump's meeting as a significant event, saying, "It was also moving to see what they are now calling 'Pope Francis's miracle' with Trump and Zelensky meeting, there's so many things that happened today - it was just overwhelming."
Ukraine remains apprehensive about Trump pressuring them to hand over Crimea, a Black Sea region annexed by Russia in 2014. Despite Trump's constant emphasis on brokering a truce between Moscow and Kyiv, he has failed to secure major concessions from Putin during several rounds of negotiations.
It's important to note that Russia has expressed readiness to resume negotiations without preconditions, but their stated demands include control over annexed Ukrainian territories, demilitarization of Ukraine, and Ukraine's renunciation of NATO membership[1]. However, these demands have faced significant opposition from Ukraine.
Given the deep-seated issues and the lack of direct talks between Ukraine and Russia, any peace agreement faces significant challenges. Key contentious points include the recognition of Crimea, demilitarization of Ukraine, and Ukraine's potential NATO membership[2].
In recent developments, the U.S. Senate has agreed on a related bill, paving the way for potential further sanctions on Russia following the drone attack on Kyiv that left 12 dead and several buildings destroyed[4].
Trump's tone of distancing himself from Putin during the peace talks has been a remarkable shift since February, signifying potential changes in the diplomatic landscape between the U.S. and Russia.
[[1]] https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-states-demands-ukraine-peace-dzhokhar-dzhulayevsky-read-statement-2023-02-25/[[2]] https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/26/world/europe/us-russia-ukraine-peace-plan.html[[3]] https://www.rferl.org/a/zelensky-trump-europes-putin-donbass-separate-peace-plans/31891492.html[[4]] https://www.reuters.com/world/us/senate-republicans-join-democrats-advance-ukraine-aid-sanctions-bill-2023-02-28/
- Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed readiness for unconditional ceasefire discussions with Ukraine, echoing Zelensky's hopes from their recent meeting.
- The meeting between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky has prompted General News and Politics discussions about potential war-and-conflicts resolutions, particularly in light of the U.S.'s efforts to broker a peace deal with Russia.
- In a recent political development, Trump's tone towards Putin during peace talks has shifted significantly, putting Putin's actions in war-and-conflicts zones under scrutiny.
- Latest News reports indicate that the U.S. Senate has agreed on a bill related to Ukraine, which paves the way for potential further sanctions on Russia as the political climate continues to evolve amid ongoing war-and-conflicts.
