‘He’s tapping me along’: Trump turns on Putin after Zelensky meeting

US President Donald Trump has cast doubt on whether Russian leader Vladimir Putin wants a peace deal, shortly after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the hush of St Peter’s Basilica before Pope Francis’s funeral.

Volodymyr Zelensky meets with Donald Trump at St Peter's Basilica at the Vatican. Picture: Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/AFP

US President Donald Trump has cast doubt on whether Russian leader Vladimir Putin wants a peace deal, shortly after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the hush of St Peter’s Basilica before Pope Francis’s funeral on Saturday.

This was the two leaders’ first meeting since a noisy White House clash in February, and after leaving Rome, Trump indicated a new approach to the Russian president.

“There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.

“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, through ‘Banking’ or ‘Secondary Sanctions?’ Too many people are dying!!!” The war cast a shadow over Francis’s funeral. Even as it was taking place, Russia claimed its forces had “fully liberated” the border Kursk region.

Ukraine insisted, however, that its army was still fighting in Kursk, Russian territory that it hopes to use as a bargaining chip in any future peace talks.

Leaders’ robust pre-funeral discussion

Sitting on red damask-lined gold chairs and facing each other on marble floors, Mr Zelensky and Mr Trump appear to have had a “robust” pre-funeral discussion.

In what is known in diplomatic parlance as a “brush-by” or chance encounter, the two men had a 15-minute personal chat, with aides kept at a distance, about Russia’s war in Ukraine and ongoing attempts by the White House to broker a peace.

The White House later said the meeting was “very productive”.

Ukrainian spokesman Serhiy Nykyforov said the pair would meet for a second time later on Saturday once Pope Francis had been laid to rest.

“The leaders agreed to continue their discussions today. Teams are working on organising the continuation of the meeting,” Mr Nykyforov said.

However Mr Trump left Rome almost immediately after the funeral, boarding Air Force One after Francis was taken to St Mary Major Basilica for burial.

Posting to social media after the funeral, Mr Zelensky said he and Mr Trump had discussed a possible unconditional ceasefire with Russia.

“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. Very symbolic meeting that has potential to become historic, if we achieve joint results,” Mr Zelensky wrote on X.

Photos of the meeting were released by the Ukrainians. Another photo shows a four-way of Mr Trump, Mr Zelensky with French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

US special envoy Steve Witkoff had met with senior Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev on Friday to try and advance the negotiations.

Emmanuel Macron, Sir Keir Starmer and Donald Trump speak with Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of Pope Francis's funeral. Picture: Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/AFP

On his arrival in Rome late Friday night Mr Trump said Russia and Ukraine were very close to a deal, encouraging discussion at the highest levels to “finish it off”.

“Most of the major points are agreed to,” Mr Trump said in a social media post.

Mr Trump has previously said that Crimea will stay with Russia, but this has been contested by Mr Zelensky who insists all of the annexed territory has to be returned back to Ukraine.

Mr Trump has been frustrated at Ukraine’s stance saying that there has to be some compromise in the peace negotiations for the three years of bloodshed to end.

Mr Trump has accused Mr Zelensky of prolonging the war with “inflammatory statements’’.

The tensions between the two were on show during the extraordinary bad-tempered contretemps in the Oval Office on February 28, which led to a subsequent meeting between the two men being cancelled.

with AFP