Trump and Zelensky war talks reach productive outcome
US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky had “very productive” talks in the Vatican, a White House official said, as the US ramps up its efforts to secure a peace deal for Ukraine.
The meeting was held minutes before the funeral of Pope Francis and came a day after Trump said Moscow and Kyiv were “very close to a deal” on an end to the fighting, CNN reported on April 26th.
Zelensky described it in a social media post as a “very symbolic meeting that has potential to become historic, if we achieve joint results.”
“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.” This was their first face-to-face meeting since their calamitous talks in February.
The US has ratcheted up its demands on Ukraine to agree to a peace deal after it warned the previous week they could walk away from talks “within days” if one could not be attained.
“A good day in talks and meetings with Russia and Ukraine. They are very close to a deal and the two sides should now meet, at very high levels, to ‘finish it off,'” Trump posted on Truth Social.
Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff convened with Russian President Vladimir Putin for three hours on April 25th. Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov labelled the discussions as “constructive and very useful.”
Rifts have emerged between Washington’s offers and the stance of Kyiv and its European allies, Al Jazeera reported on April 26th
A US suggestion that Crimea should be recognised as Russian territory has been strongly contested by Kyiv and European nations.
Points of contention remain over the timeframe of relaxing sanctions on Moscow, the details of a security guarantee for Kyiv and economic compensation for Kyiv.
Zelensky put forward several concessions with the aim of helping peace talks before embarking on his trip to Rome on April 25th.
He alluded to the potential for “very significant meetings” to be held in the next few days, “that should bring us closer to silence for Ukraine.”
“We are ready for dialogue, I emphasise again, in any format with anyone,” he went on to say, but “only after a real signal that Russia is ready to end the war. Such a signal is a complete and unconditional ceasefire.”
In acknowledging an concession that Ukraine not be given NATO membership in the nearby future he said “I think we have to be pragmatic. We have to understand what security guarantees Ukraine needs.”
Zelensky said the pledges could be made up of a military group from Europe and a “backstop” provided by the US.
He described the backstop as not inevitably having to “be boots on the ground in Ukraine.” He said it may include cyber defence “and above all Patriot air defense systems.”
Twelve people were killed in Kyiv on April 24th in what were the deadliest missile airstrikes since July last summer.
CNN, Al Jazeera
