The Night in Ukraine: Trump’s Peace Talks diplomacy in Rome without tangible results

For the first time since their dispute in February, US President Trump and Kyiv President Zelenskyy discussed the Ukraine conflict on the sidelines of the Pope’s funeral. Moscow reaffirmed its willingness to engage in dialogue. But Trump cast doubt on Vladimir Putin’s integrity. The overview of Peace Talks.

Following a conversation between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Rome on the sidelines of Pope Francis’s funeral, there is renewed hope for a ceasefire in the war in Ukraine. Following the individual meetings with Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine is ready for an unconditional ceasefire. Russia is now called upon to agree to it.

In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said after US Peace Talks with Trump’s special envoy Steve Vitkoff on Friday that President Putin is ready to engage in direct negotiations with Ukraine without preconditions. “During yesterday’s conversation with Trump’s envoy Vitkoff, Vladimir Putin reiterated that the Russian side is ready to resume the negotiation process with Ukraine without preconditions,” Peskov said, according to the Russian news agency Interfax.

After Witkoff’s three-hour meeting with Putin, Trump declared that a settlement in the conflict could be reached. Putin had repeatedly emphasized his willingness to talk with Kyiv on Peace Talks. However, he then declared that Zelenskyy would first have to withdraw his decree prohibiting such talks. If this were removed as a precondition, a situation could arise similar to the one at the beginning of the war, when Ukrainians and Russians negotiated directly to end it.

Trump threatens sanctions against Russia

After the meeting with Zelensky in St. Peter’s Basilica, which reportedly lasted only 15 minutes and was very peaceful compared to their February clash, Trump expressed doubts about the talks with Putin. The US president is striving for a quick end to the war. Now he criticized Putin, whom he actually respects, and asked whether the Kremlin chief even has an interest in ending the war.

Trump threatened Russia with sanctions. On his return flight from Rome to the US, he wrote on his online mouthpiece, Truth Social, that there had been no reason for Putin to fire missiles at civilian areas, cities, and villages in Ukraine in recent days. “It makes me think: Maybe he doesn’t want to end the war at all, but is just stalling—and needs to be treated differently (…),” Trump continued.

The US President cited so-called secondary sanctions as an example, i.e., measures against third countries, companies, or individuals that continue to do business with Russia. He also hinted at his intention to further cut Russia off from the international banking system. These are unusually harsh words that Trump is now using against Putin.

While sanctions are hitting Russia hard economically, Western experts also repeatedly state that Moscow is holding up unexpectedly well. Russia emphasizes that it will not allow the sanctions to influence its political side. Western sanctions have also so far failed to stop the war.

Zelenskyy sees “historic” opportunity after meeting with Trump in Peace Talks

Zelensky described his first meeting with Trump since their February dispute as a “good meeting.” “We discussed a lot privately,” Zelensky said on Platform X. The White House called it a “very productive” meeting.

“A reliable and lasting peace that will prevent the outbreak of a new war,” Zelensky said of his goal in the negotiations. He thanked Trump for the talks: “A very symbolic meeting that has the potential to become historic if we achieve common results.”

Peace Talks: Crimean peninsula repeatedly a topic in negotiations

In his post on Truth Social, Trump also emphasized that returning the Crimean peninsula, annexed by Russia in 2014, to Ukraine was a “ludicrous demand.” The Republican reiterated that the war should never have started and would not have started if he had been president at the time.

Trump also wants to extract concessions from Zelensky. Zelensky has so far categorically rejected any relinquishment of the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea or other territories in eastern Ukraine annexed by Moscow. While the leadership in Moscow speaks of progress in negotiations with Washington, it points out that detailed issues still need to be resolved to end the war.

Russia celebrates “liberation” of Kursk as “victory”

Meanwhile, according to the Defense Ministry, Moscow’s troops completely recaptured the Russian region of Kursk from the Ukrainian armed forces. Ukrainian troops invaded the region in early August of last year and captured dozens of towns.

“The Kyiv regime’s plans to create a so-called strategic bridgehead and disrupt our offensive in Donbas have failed,” said Russia’s Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov. Putin congratulated the troops on their “victory.”

In contrast, the Ukrainian General Staff described Moscow’s claims as “wishful thinking.” The fighting continued, Kyiv said. The warring parties’ statements cannot be independently verified.

Russia had always cited the recapture of the Kursk region as a condition for entering into peace negotiations with Ukraine. For Kremlin leader Putin, the invasion by Ukrainian troops was a humiliation because it also demonstrated the vulnerability of the Russian border.

Ukraine always viewed the invasion as part of its defensive struggle against the Russian war of aggression. However, Western military experts also criticized Kyiv’s armed forces for lacking other key sectors of the Ukrainian front. Ukraine has been defending itself against the Russian war of aggression for more than three years.

After Peace Talks with Zelenskyj in the Vatican: US President Trump threatens Russia with new sanctions

Following his meeting with Ukrainian President Zelensky on the sidelines of the funeral ceremonies in the Vatican, US President Trump threatened Russia with new sanctions. The behavior of Kremlin leader Putin gives him cause for concern, Trump wrote on his Truth Social network.

Trump stated that he doubted Moscow’s willingness to make peace in Ukraine. Putin had no reason to fire missiles at civilian areas and cities in recent days. The US President met with Zelensky for a one-on-one meeting on the sidelines of Pope Francis’s funeral.

Zelensky gave the meeting a positive assessment. He wrote on the Telegram messaging service that he had been able to discuss many things with the US President and now hoped for results. The White House called it a “very productive” meeting. French President Macron and British Prime Minister Starmer also met briefly with Trump and Zelensky.

Peace Talks: Trump for direct negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv

Trump had previously announced that he believed a possible agreement to end the war between Russia and Ukraine was within reach. He advocated for direct negotiations between the two sides to “get this done.” Trump also called for an immediate end to the fighting.Yesterday, US Special Envoy Witkoff again spoke with Russian President Putin in Moscow. Afterward, it was reported that the meeting had been constructive. Trump stated that they had also had good discussions with Ukraine.Terras, Vice-Chair of the European Parliament’s Defence Committee, criticized the US government’s plans. 

Terras told Deutschlandfunk that the “peace plan” was not a solution as long as Russia was not forced to make concessions. Rather, it was an attempt by US President Trump to withdraw from the talks and leave the negotiations to the European countries. They now had to show that they could achieve something themselves, said the Estonian MEP from the conservative EPP. Letting Russia win the war was not an alternative. If President Putin succeeded in doing that, he would continue in other countries.

Report: Kyiv softens two demands

As the New York Times reports, Ukraine is hinting at new concessions in the negotiations. Kyiv is apparently no longer insisting on reclaiming all the territories occupied by Russia. NATO membership is also no longer a mandatory requirement.

New air strikes on Ukrainian cities

Ukrainian authorities reported new Russian airstrikes on several cities. In Kamyansk, in the center of the country, a residential building was hit, injuring several people.Meanwhile, there is uncertainty about the military situation in the Russian region of Kursk, which is occupied by Ukrainian forces. Russian President Putin declared the Ukrainian offensive a failure, saying all Ukrainian soldiers had been expelled. Putin acknowledged that North Korean soldiers had also been deployed in the region. Ukraine immediately contradicted the Russian account. Kyiv reported that Ukrainian troops remained deployed in the Russian region of Belgorod.

Macron: “Ukraine ready for unconditional ceasefire”

The Ukrainian president spoke with Western politicians in Rome. Now the pressure on Kremlin leader Putin is mounting. All developments in the news blog.

Funeral in Rome: Why Selensky should have sat much further back

The funeral of a pope follows strict rules. However, there was an exception for the Ukrainian president.

Macron: “Ukraine ready for unconditional ceasefire”

On the sidelines of Pope Francis’s funeral in Rome, French President Emmanuel Macron also discussed peace efforts in the Ukraine war with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky . ” Ukraine is ready for an unconditional ceasefire,” Macron announced on X. Now Russian President Vladimir Putin must prove whether he is truly ready to make peace.

Macron continued, saying that Ukraine intends to work alongside the United States and Europe to implement a ceasefire and a complete and lasting peace in Ukraine. This will happen, in particular, within the framework of the “Coalition of the Willing,” which was launched in Paris in March.

In addition to Macron, US President Donald Trump also met with Zelensky in Rome on Saturday . The White House described the meeting as “very productive.” Trump wants to end Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine and extract concessions from Zelensky. Zelensky has so far categorically rejected any relinquishment of the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, or other territories in eastern Ukraine annexed by Moscow.

Zelenskyy meets with EU Commission President von der Leyen

On the sidelines of Pope Francis’s funeral in Rome on Saturday , EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met, according to the Ukrainian broadcaster Suspilne. Neither side has yet provided any details about the meeting. These images, posted on X, are said to show the meeting:

Deaths after Russian attacks in eastern Ukraine

At least three people were killed and eight injured in Russian attacks in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk, the regional prosecutor’s office said.

Russia initially attacked the eastern Ukrainian industrial city of Kostiantynivka with three glide bombs. One person was killed and two others injured. Another man was killed and three people injured in further shelling. One person was also killed and three injured in attacks in the Pokrovsk district, according to reports.

Kremlin again signals willingness to Peace Talks with Ukraine

According to the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated in his talks with US Special Envoy Steve Vitkoff that he is ready to begin Peace Talks with Ukraine “without preconditions.” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said this on Saturday.

He added that Putin has reiterated this several times in the past. However, Putin has regularly reiterated his maximum demands regarding Ukraine: control over five Ukrainian regions, Ukraine’s renunciation of NATO membership, and its demilitarization. More broadly, the Kremlin chief is calling for a reorganization of the security architecture in Europe—particularly with regard to the stationing of NATO troops near Russia’s borders.

The Kremlin described the talks between Putin and Witkoff on Friday as “constructive and very useful.” They were intended to help bring Moscow’s and Washington’s positions closer together in various areas, including Ukraine.

Trump threatens Putin with new sanctions

US President Donald Trump threatened Russia with sanctions following his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and expressed doubts about Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin’s willingness to end the war in Ukraine. On his return flight from Rome to the US, Trump wrote on his online mouthpiece Truth Social that there had been no reason for Putin to fire missiles at civilian areas, cities, and villages in Ukraine in recent days. “It makes me think: Maybe he doesn’t want to end the war at all, but is just stalling—and needs to be treated differently (…),” Trump continued.

The US President cited as an example so-called secondary sanctions, i.e. measures against third countries, companies, or individuals that continue to do business with Russia. He also hinted at his intention to further cut Russia off from the international banking system. These are unusually harsh words that Trump is now using against Putin. Just a few hours earlier, he had met with Zelenskyy in Rome on the sidelines of Pope Francis’s funeral. The White House described the meeting as “very productive.”

Trump agree to meet for Peace Talks

According to the EU, US President Donald Trump is ready to meet with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. In a brief exchange on the sidelines of the funeral service for Pope Francis, von der Leyen and President Trump agreed to meet, a spokeswoman for von der Leyen announced in the early afternoon.

There was initially no information on a possible date or location for the meeting. The gathering would be the first top-level EU-US meeting since Trump took office in January. The EU has been trying for weeks to engage in dialogue with the new US president. Relations between the US and the EU have deteriorated significantly since Trump took office. This is due, among other things, to the Republican’s attempts to persuade Ukraine to make far-reaching concessions in exchange for an end to Russia’s war of aggression.

Conclusion

In addition, Trump has triggered a trade conflict with new tariffs on imports from the EU. The US president wants to use the tariffs to correct alleged trade imbalances and shift production to the US.

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Sources used:

• With material from the News agencies  dpa and AFP, ntv.de, Reuters news agency, BBC News and CNN reports. The content has been independently analyzed and rewritten to provide original insights.

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