Trump hints at tougher sanctions on Russia and criticizes Obama over Crimea, as Zelenskyy pushes for an “unconditional ceasefire.”
Washington, DC [US], April 27:
US President Donald Trump has cast doubt on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s willingness to end the war in Ukraine, following his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Vatican during Pope Francis’ funeral.
In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump criticized recent Russian missile strikes in Ukraine and floated the possibility of new sanctions, questioning whether Putin genuinely wants peace.
“No reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas… makes me think maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war,” Trump posted, suggesting a need to consider “Banking or Secondary Sanctions.”
During his post, Trump also attacked former President Barack Obama, blaming him for enabling Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea “without even a shot being fired,” and took aim at media outlets like The New York Times for what he called biased reporting on the conflict.
Trump emphasized that the war in Ukraine is “Sleepy Joe Biden’s war,” claiming it would have never occurred under his leadership. He also pointed out his past support for Ukraine by providing Javelin missiles, contrasting it with Obama’s lesser aid.
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy described his meeting with Trump as “good” and expressed hope for a “full and unconditional ceasefire,” stressing the importance of protecting Ukrainian lives and achieving reliable peace. Posting on X (formerly Twitter), Zelenskyy called it a potentially “historic” meeting.
White House communications director Steven Cheung confirmed the two leaders had a “very productive” discussion, with more details to follow.
In a related diplomatic development, Russian President Vladimir Putin met at the Kremlin with US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. According to Russian officials, the three-hour meeting, attended by top aides, was described as “constructive” and aimed at narrowing differences on Ukraine and other international issues.
As tensions escalate, diplomatic efforts continue on multiple fronts, but uncertainty remains over Putin’s true intentions regarding an end to the conflict.