Trump indicated that a deal was close as he arrived in Italy for Pope Francis’s funeral. He mentioned that both Russia and Ukraine were nearing an agreement, following talks between his envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Trump described the negotiations as positive, while the Kremlin labeled them as “constructive.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized the need for pressure on Russia to accept a ceasefire. The discussions also touched on potential territorial issues between Kyiv and Moscow. Reports suggested that Ukraine may have to concede land annexed by Russia under a proposed US peace plan. Trump expressed support for Russia retaining the Crimean peninsula, a move rejected by Zelensky. The talks aimed to bring the Russian and US positions closer on various international matters, including the Ukrainian crisis. The possibility of direct talks between Russian and Ukrainian representatives was also discussed. Putin’s openness to dialogue with Zelensky signaled a potential breakthrough in the conflict. Zelensky reiterated Ukraine’s stance on Crimea, stating that only the Ukrainian people could determine the region’s status. Despite differences in proposals, efforts continued to find a resolution to the conflict, with Zelensky urging allies to increase pressure on Russia. Según él, es necesario presionar a Rusia. Dijo que se le permitía importar misiles de países como Corea del Norte, que luego usaba en un mortal ataque con misiles contra Kiev el jueves, que mató a 12 personas e hirió a docenas. “La presión insuficiente sobre Corea del Norte y sus aliados les permite fabricar tales misiles balísticos. El misil que mató a los residentes de Kiev contenía al menos 116 piezas importadas de otros países, y la mayoría de ellas, desafortunadamente, fueron fabricadas por empresas estadounidenses”, alegó Zelensky. Después del ataque a Kiev, Trump dijo que estaba “ejerciendo mucha presión” sobre ambas partes para poner fin a la guerra, y se dirigió directamente a Putin en una publicación en redes sociales, diciendo: “¡Vladimir, PARA!” Sin embargo, desde entonces, Trump ha culpado a Kiev de comenzar la guerra, diciendo a la revista Time: “Creo que lo que causó que la guerra empezara fue cuando ellos [Ucrania] comenzaron a hablar de unirse a la OTAN.”
