US president admits to concern Russian counterpart does not want to ‘stop the war’ and ponders new approach to Moscow

Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy have sat down for a face-to-face talk in the opulent halls of a Vatican basilica to discuss a possible ceasefire, after which the US president accused his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, of not wanting to “stop the war”.

The White House described Trump’s meeting with the Ukrainian leader before Pope Francis’s funeral as “very productive”, while Zelenskyy said on X that the talk with the US president was symbolic and had the “potential to become historic, if we achieve joint results”.

It was the first time that Zelenskyy and Trump had met face to face after a frosty February encounter in the White House where Trump and the US vice-president, JD Vance, berated the Ukrainian leader and accused him of ingratitude for US aid.

  • futatorius@lemm.ee
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    6 days ago

    Wow, PigBoy almost showed signs of sentience for a second there.

    Edit: Putin tapped him a long time ago and continues to do so on a regular basis.

  • dhork@lemmy.world
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    7 days ago

    I find it interesting that after one meeting with Zelenskyy in a neutral place, without any handlers present, that Trump has done such a sudden about face.

    Maybe it’s just a coincidence. Maybe it’s just that Trump’s tiny mind can only hold one thought at a time, so it fixates on the last thing that was said to him. But it’s also possible that he is being actively manipulated by foreign actors, and Zelenskyy just managed to pierce their control over Trump by staging this very private talk, in a public place, where he could be guaranteed that his message could be delivered directly.

    • futatorius@lemm.ee
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      7 days ago

      Trump is weak-minded and repeats whatever someone just told him. That’s why so much power resides with whoever controls access to Trump.

    • BackgrndNoize@lemmy.world
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      6 days ago

      That video of him sitting in his desk like a ignored elder while Elon(with his effin kid) talks to the media in the oval office gave me strong puppet vibes

    • ClanOfTheOcho@lemmy.world
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      7 days ago

      I was thinking that the sudden, impromptu nature of the Pope’s funeral left Putin unable to prep Trump full of disinformation just before.

      • dhork@lemmy.world
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        7 days ago

        No, the death itself and the plans for the funeral may have been sudden, but the Pope had been unwell for a while and I’m sure every government had a contingency plan to drop everything and go to the funeral.

        And Putin is ex-KGB (as if you could ever really be a “former” spy). If Putin really is advising Trump, you can be sure that he had a script all teed up for Trump, and Trump got his talking points before the trip.

        But the Vatican, at this particular event, is perhaps the only place in the world where Zelenskyy and Trump could have had this talk, without anyone else present.

    • Null User Object@lemmy.world
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      7 days ago

      Maybe it’s just that Trump’s tiny mind can only hold one thought at a time, so it fixates on the last thing that was said to him.

      There is no shortage of evidence to support this this conclusion.

      But it’s also possible that he is being actively manipulated by foreign actors

      This too. No reason both can’t be true at the same time.

    • Goretantath@lemm.ee
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      7 days ago

      Its a ploy to prevent being impeached, the protests are working and they are scared.

    • hansolo@lemm.ee
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      7 days ago

      He only knows what the last convincing person said to him – IF – IF he’s had a sliver of doubt about Putin’s loyalty to HIM. Putin’s lack of giving T a ceasefire that T needs to appear to accomplish something does that.

      What’s funny is T is literally the last person in the country to get to this realization. But hey, maybe he got there, right?

  • Hikuro-93@lemmy.world
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    7 days ago

    Yeah, but as I said in another post on the day of the meeting, this scenario was pretty predictable and that’s just this week’s statement. After you talk to Putin or your cheerleaders of chaos you’ll then condemn Zelensky and Ukraine again.

    Not a single own thought, only “who last talked to Donnie”. And Zelensky, Macron, Starmer and others have the disadvantage there since they don’t live on the White House or have a special hotline straight to the Oval Office like Putin does.

    Meanwhile an unnamed soldier on the battlefield doesn’t know if he’s gonna live or die today, not knowing his life is subject to the whims of a childish leader who can’t handle global-scale power.

    A POTUS, arguably the most influential seat on the planet who can make Russia back the fuck off by default, occupied by an empty shell of a puppet who doesn’t have a mind of his own, who needs to be told what to think.

    • Dzso@lemmy.world
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      7 days ago

      Honestly makes me think if they could get Melania out of the White House, it might be more effective than getting Trump out.

  • CocaineShrimp@lemm.ee
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    7 days ago

    Credit where credit is due - I really hope Trump starts seeing the light from this point forwards

    • breakingcups@lemmy.world
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      7 days ago

      I cannot fathom saying something so incredibly naive after the mountains of evidence of Trump’s character and thought process.

  • galanthus@lemmy.world
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    7 days ago

    Conducting that meeting in that place at such a time seems quite inappropriate and disrespectful.

    • Mediocre_Bard@lemmy.world
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      7 days ago

      Sideline meetings happen all the time. It’s not a new thing. World leaders can show compassion for the deceased and handle their shit all in the same day.

    • Dzso@lemmy.world
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      7 days ago

      I’m pretty sure the dead Pope wouldn’t ask for more respect to be given to him than to the living people of Ukraine and to the thousands of Ukrainian people who have died to defend a free Europe.