President Donald Trump has issued his second strongly worded critique of Russian President Vladimir Putin in two days, following his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Rome.
“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 stringing me along — and has to be dealt with differently, through ‘Banking’ or ‘Secondary Sanctions?’ Too many people are dying!” Trump wrote on Truth Social shortly after the meeting, which both the White House and Zelenskyy described as “successful.”
The post marks a notable shift for Trump, who has often been criticised for appearing to exert more pressure on Ukraine than on Russia in previous peace efforts. Critics have voiced concerns that Trump’s proposals tended to demand greater concessions from Kyiv than from Moscow.
This follows Trump’s earlier post after a deadly strike on Kyiv.
“I am not happy with the Russian attacks on KYIV. This was not necessary and very poorly timed. Vladimir, STOP! 5,000 soldiers are dying every week. Let’s MAKE A PEACE DEAL!” he wrote.
Notably, in his latest statement, Trump refers to Putin by his last name rather than his first, potentially signalling greater distance.
European leaders rally behind peace efforts
French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed Zelenskyy’s willingness to engage in peace talks following their meeting in Rome during Pope Francis’s funeral events.
“Ending the war in Ukraine. This is the goal we share with President Trump,” Macron stated on X. “Ukraine is ready for an unconditional ceasefire. President Zelenskyy reiterated this to me today. He wants to work alongside the Americans and Europeans to implement it.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who also met with Zelenskyy, stressed “the urgency of an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, as well as the need for a concrete commitment by Moscow to launch a peace process.”
Diplomatic openings face stiff challenges
On Saturday, Putin also claimed that Russian forces had pushed Ukrainian troops out of Kursk Oblast — a development that analysts view as a necessary condition for freezing the conflict along current battle lines. However, Ukrainian sources have not confirmed a full Russian recapture of the area.
At the same time, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov announced that Russia is now prepared for negotiations “without preconditions,” marking a shift from earlier demands that Kyiv first lift its ban on talks with Moscow.
Nonetheless, serious challenges persist. The White House peace plan reportedly envisions transferring control of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant to the United States and allowing European military personnel to be stationed in Ukraine — terms that Russia has previously rejected.
