Trump and Zelensky meet one-on-one to seek peace

In this handout photograph taken and released by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Service in Kyiv on April 26, 2025, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky (R) meets with US President Donald Trump (L) on the sidelines of Pope Francis's funeral at St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican. (AFP)
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  • After talks at Vatican, Trump takes tough tone in post about Putin

KYIV: US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, in Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis, met one-on-one in a marble-lined Vatican basilica on Saturday to try to revive faltering efforts to end Russia鈥檚 war with Ukraine.

Zelensky said the meeting could prove historic if it delivers the kind of peace he is hoping for, and a White House spokesman called it 鈥渧ery productive.鈥�
The two leaders, leaning in close to each other with no aides around them while seated in St. Peter鈥檚 Basilica, spoke for about 15 minutes.

The meeting at the Vatican, their first since an angry encounter in the Oval Office in Washington in February, comes at a critical time in negotiations aimed at bringing an end to fighting between Ukraine and Russia.After leaving Rome, Trump published a social media post in which he took a tough tone on Russian President Vladimir Putin.
鈥淭here was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days,鈥� Trump posted on Truth Social. Twelve people were killed on Thursday when a missile fired by Russia hit a Kyiv apartment block.
鈥淚t makes me think that maybe he doesn鈥檛 want to stop the war, he鈥檚 just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through 鈥楤anking鈥� or 鈥楽econdary Sanctions?鈥� Too many people are dying!!!鈥� Trump wrote.
Trump鈥檚 post was a departure from his usual rhetoric, which has seen the toughest criticism directed at Zelensky, while he has spoken positively about Putin.
In a post on social media platform Telegram, Zelensky wrote: 鈥淕ood meeting. One-on-one, we managed to discuss a lot. We hope for a result from all the things that were spoken about.鈥�
He said those topics included: 鈥淭he protection of the lives of our people. A complete and unconditional ceasefire. A reliable and lasting peace that will prevent a recurrence of war.鈥�
Zelensky added: 鈥淚t was a very symbolic meeting that has the potential to become historic if we achieve joint results. Thank you, President Donald Trump!鈥�

Ukraine forces expelled from Kursk

Meanwhile, all Ukrainian troops have been forced from parts of Russia鈥檚 Kursk region, which Moscow lost control of last year to a surprise Ukrainian incursion, Russia鈥檚 top general said in a Kremlin meeting. Ukrainian officials denied the claim.
Valery Gerasimov, chief of the General Staff for Russia鈥檚 Armed Forces, gave Russian President Putin the news in a meeting, Peskov told Russian state news outlet Interfax.
In a statement, Putin congratulated the Russian soldiers and commanders and said that Kyiv鈥檚 incursion had 鈥渃ompletely failed鈥�.
鈥淭he complete defeat of our enemy along Kursk鈥檚 border region creates the right conditions for further successes for our troops and in other important areas of the front,鈥� he said.
Ukrainian officials, however, said the fighting was still continuing. 鈥淭he statements of representatives of the high command of the aggressor country about the alleged end of hostilities in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation are not true,鈥� a Ukrainian government statement said.
鈥淭he defensive operation of the Ukrainian Defense Forces in certain areas in the Kursk region continues. The operational situation is difficult, but our units continue to hold designated positions and carry out assigned tasks, while inflicting effective fire damage on the enemy with all types of weapons, including using active defense tactics,鈥� it added.