Zelensky urges Trump to push for ceasefire in Vatican meeting
Volodymyr Zelensky made the most of his 15-minute meeting with Donald Trump at the Vatican, urging him to adopt a stronger position against Vladimir Putin and to prioritise the ceasefire. This information comes from two sources familiar with the discussion on Saturday, as reported by Axios.
What do you need to know?
- Meeting at the Vatican: Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump met at St. Peter's Basilica during the Pope's funeral ceremonies. The conversation lasted 15 minutes and was unplanned.
- Topics of discussion: Zelensky encouraged Trump to take a firmer stance against Vladimir Putin, highlighting the necessity of increased pressure on Russia, according to Axios.
- Reactions and consequences: Trump reportedly suggested a potential change in approach towards Putin, which could affect future U.S. relations with Russia.
Zelensky and Trump's quarter hour at the Vatican: What were the key discussion topics?
During their meeting at the Vatican, Volodymyr Zelensky concentrated on the importance of increasing pressure on Vladimir Putin.
Zelensky said that Putin would not budge unless Trump applied more pressure, according to Axios sources, which may have swayed Trump's opinion regarding the Russian leader.
The conversation occurred in a calm atmosphere. According to the source, this might have been due to the absence of Trump's pro-Russia advisor, J.D. Vance.
Will the conversation lead to changes in U.S. policy?
Zelensky proposed revisiting the idea of an unconditional ceasefire as a starting point for peace negotiations.
Sources cited by Axios highlighted that this was the first proposal to gain approval from Ukraine while being rejected by Russia. Trump is said to have agreed to this concept, which could suggest a new direction in U.S. policy regarding the conflict in Ukraine.
The White House neither confirmed nor denied this information.
Upon returning from Rome, Trump made a social media post in which he addressed Russian attacks on civilians. Axios comments on this as his growing concern about the Kremlin's actions.
"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," - Trump wrote at the time.
