After his iconic conversation with Zensky, Trump puts the pressure on Putin

The settlement of the guests looked a lot like a statement. The Vatican protocol chefs had taken the alphabet as a guideline during the funeral of Pope Franciscus on Saturday. The dignitaries were in order of the French name of their country. That’s how the Trumps came from Les États-Unis in the first row between the presidents of Finlande and Estonia And they were not far from French President Emmanuel Macron. President Zensky was a little further away, next to the president of India. According to the alphabet Ukraine Nothing to look for there – but it was the first row.

It was an important and loaded day for Zensky. He met in Vatican City for the first time after his dramatic visit at the end of February at the Oval Office, where he was put away as a thankless Sujet, the man from whom he is dependent and who is very much on the hand of his enemy in recent weeks. Moreover, a rudimentary negotiating proposal from the US has been circulating since a week, although many questions raises, it seems hardly acceptable for Ukraine and Russia is playing in the map. It undoubtedly helped that there was spontaneously applauding when the Zensky’s rose the square in front of the Sint-Pieter.

And then of course there was that photo, spread by the presidential press service of Ukraine. Two leaders close to each other on steel chairs with red upholstery in the basilica, with just a flard of the black robe of a spiritual who seems to be getting out of his feet in the background. Zensky in black, Trump in a funeral blue in a funeral, although he had abandoned a red tie. Visually Trump is in the photo in favor: the big man in blue seems to dominate the situation.

Historical encounter

What really happened is alone, vague, to be read from the statements that were given afterwards. Zensky said it could have been a historic encounter and he thanked Trump for the conversation. « We discussed a lot. Hope for results on all discussed topics. Protection of our people. Completely and unconditionally ceases the fires. Reliable and sustainable peace that prevents a war from breaking out again. »

Trump did something remarkable afterwards: after he had hammered weeks after that Zensky should not have so many talks, he now seemed to increase the pressure on Russian President Putin. « There is no reason for Putin to fire missiles on citizens, on towns and villages, » he wrote on social media. « I wonder if he actually wants to end the war, or if he keeps me on the line. » Trump also suggested pressure means, such as sanctions.

Zensky and other European leaders have been warning for some time that Putin does not want to negotiate seriously. They think Washington should put Moscow under pressure and not Kyiv. The American Minister of Foreign Affairs, Marco Rubio, made it clear that the US now finally wants to see results – especially from Russia. On Sunday, Rubio said that the US wants to decide this week whether further negotiation is useful. NATO chef Mark Rutte, who was in Washington at the end of last week, said that Russia is now on turn.

Play on TV

Putin was not at the funeral. He tried to divert attention with a play on TV. During a video meeting with his army chef who was broadcast on TV, he reported that the Russian region of Koersk, which had occupied Ukraine, was fully recaptured. Kyiv took the claim as propaganda.

The US rudimentary peace proposal provides, among other things, recognition of Crimea as Russian territory, withdrawal of sanctions against Russia and the de-facto of about 20 percent of Ukrainian territory to Russia. NATO membership is not an option. Both for Zensky and for Europe, those conditions are hardly acceptable. If the US holds on to these principles, Europe will get stuck in a nasty way between Washington and Kyiv -it will be a choice between Trump and Zensky.

Another encounter that was a lot about in advance was that between Trump and EU committee chairman Ursula von der Leyen. The two had not yet spoken to each other since Trumps comeback, while there is enough discussion material with Ukraine and a trade war. In Rome they greeted each other briefly and agreed to speak for longer, according to the spokesperson for von der Leyen. Concrete agreements were not made.

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