Former U.S. President Donald Trump has cast doubt on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s willingness to end the war in Ukraine, following a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Vatican during the funeral of Pope Francis, CNN reported.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump criticized recent Russian missile strikes on Ukraine and hinted at the possibility of imposing new sanctions on Moscow. He also questioned whether Putin genuinely wants to stop the conflict.
Reflecting on U.S. involvement, Trump took aim at former President Barack Obama, accusing him of allowing Russia to annex Crimea without resistance. Trump wrote, “It was Obama who made it possible for Russia to steal Crimea from Ukraine without even a shot being fired,” adding that Obama faced little media criticism for the incident, unlike Trump himself.
Labeling the ongoing conflict as “Sleepy Joe Biden’s War,” Trump said it should have never happened and would not have occurred if he were in office. He stated, “There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas… It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war and has to be dealt with differently, through ‘Banking’ or ‘Secondary Sanctions.’ Too many people are dying.”
Zelenskyy described his meeting with Trump as “good,” emphasizing discussions on achieving a “full and unconditional ceasefire” and establishing a “reliable and lasting peace.” In a post on X, Zelenskyy called the meeting potentially “historic” if their efforts succeed.
The White House also described the Trump-Zelenskyy meeting in Rome as “very productive,” noting it was their first face-to-face interaction since a tense White House encounter earlier this year.
Meanwhile, on Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a three-hour meeting at the Kremlin with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. According to Russian officials, the discussions were “constructive and very useful,” covering Ukraine and other international issues.
