President Trump met privately with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine on Saturday in Vatican City, the first time the two leaders have met since their televised argument in late February in the Oval Office exacerbated the deep breach between the two countries.
The meeting took place in St. Peter’s Basilica, the two men perched on metal chairs, deep in conversation for several minutes as they waited for the funeral for Pope Francis to begin. A White House spokesman, Stephen Cheung, called it a “very productive discussion,” but gave no details.
It came at a critical moment. The United States has presented Ukraine with a plan for a cease-fire in its war with Russia, leading to a postwar plan that would give Russia de facto control over all of the lands it has illegally seized since the invasion began three years ago. The proposal also includes a major reversal of American policy: a formal recognition by the United States that Crimea, seized by Moscow in 2014, is now Russian territory.
Mr. Zelensky said this past week that Ukraine would never make that concession, noting that it would violate Ukraine’s Constitution; most of the other nations in Europe would almost agree with Mr. Zelensky’s view. But the Ukrainian leader has a counterproposal of his own, Ukrainian officials said, one that would end the conflict on far less generous terms for Russia, and would include billions of dollars in reparations for Ukraine, paid by Russia.
The White House did not respond to queries about the specifics of the meeting in Vatican City. But it was a remarkable scene: an impromptu meeting between two men who have made no secret of their deep dislike and distrust for each other. In the minutes after they last saw each other, Mr. Zelensky was essentially evicted from the White House, a lunch for the two men left uneaten and an economic accord allowing the United States to help exploit much of Ukraine’s minerals left unsigned…
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Mr. Trump’s every handshake and conversation at the funeral was watched for meaning. He briefly greeted Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union, who was sitting a few chairs down from Mr. Trump. White House reporters traveling with the president, but kept at a considerable distance, reported that the two appeared to chat, funereal protocols aside. In the past three months, Ms. von der Leyen was conspicuously absent from the leaders visiting the White House….
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Trump sat down with Zelensky shortly after paying his respects to Francis’s casket. In another photo captured of those pre-funeral moments inside the church, Trump stood in a tight circle with Zelensky, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron. Starmer was smiling, and Macron has his hand on Zelensky’s shoulder….
Note…
This was Donald, the American President on his ‘own’, well aware he was amonmg the Western leaders….
This was NOT a political show…
But a ‘Presidential ‘ One….
Trump also has been getting screwed by Putin and needs some movement on this conflict…
Trump HAS admitted that Putin seems to NOT want a agreement, which would be seen as a loss , no matter what, to the Russian people, who Putin promised he would ‘get’ the Ukraine, in total…
image…A picture made available by the Ukrainian presidential press office shows President Trump meeting privately with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine on Saturday at St. Peter’s Basilica on the sidelines of Pope Francis’ funeral.Credit…Ukrainian Presidential Press Service
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