Maybe Putin doesn’t want to stop Ukraine war, he’s just tapping me along: Trump

Hours after meeting Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Rome, United States President Donald Trump on Saturday accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of prolonging the Ukraine conflict, suggesting that Moscow may have no intention of reaching a settlement.

“There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days. 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, through ‘Banking’ or ‘Secondary Sanctions?’ Too many people are dying,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

After their clash at the Oval Office last month, Trump and Zelenskyy met again earlier today, this time on the sidelines of Pope Francis’ funeral in Rome. Their first 15-minute encounter was labelled ‘constructive’ by Kyiv.

After the second meeting, Zelensky posted on X, calling it a “good meeting” and stressing hopes for “full and unconditional ceasefire” and a “lasting peace”. He described the one-on-one as ‘symbolic’ with ‘historic potential’, if it delivers real results. A photograph of the two leaders accompanied his post.

Trump’s recent remarks came a day after Putin told US envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow that he was ready for talks with Ukraine “without preconditions”, according to the Kremlin.

In a rare shift from his usual stance, Donald Trump softened his tone towards Ukraine, tempering his past attacks on President Zelenskyy even as he continued to speak favourably of Vladimir Putin.

Trump has been urging both Moscow and Kyiv to accept a ceasefire and strike a peace deal, warning that his administration would abandon mediation efforts if talks stall.

However, a fresh round of shuttle diplomacy this week, internal documents obtained by news agency Reuters reveal growing rifts between the Trump White House and Ukraine’s European allies over the direction of the peace process.

Trump and Zelenskyy’s personal ties have been tense. In their Oval Office encounter, Trump warned Zelenskyy he was “gambling with World War Three”, while Zelenskyy dismissed Trump as stuck in a “disinformation bubble” leaning toward Moscow.