Trump threatens Russia after Selenskij meetings with sanctions-DiePresse.com

On the return flight from Rome to the USA on his online language tube, Trump wrote Truth Social that Putin had no reason to fire rockets in civilian areas, cities and villages in Ukraine in the past few days. « It makes me think: Maybe he doesn’t want to end the war at all, but just keeps me – and has to be treated differently (…), » continues Trump.

The US President named so-called secondary sanctions, i.e. measures against third countries, companies or individuals who continue to do business with Russia. He also indicated that he wanted to continue to cut Russia from the international banking system. They are unusually sharp words that Trump now loses through Putin. Just a few hours earlier, he had come together in Rome on the sidelines of the funeral service for Pope Francis for a conversation with Selenskij. The white house described the meeting as « very productive ».

Crimean peninsula again and again in negotiations

It was the first meeting of the two statesmen after a scandal in the White House at the end of February. In his contribution to Truth Social, Trump also emphasized that a return of the Crimean peninsula to Ukraine in 2014 from Russia was a « ridiculous demands ». The Republican wrote again that the war could never have started and would not have been started if he had been president at the time.

Trump wants to end the Russian attack war in Ukraine and also get Selenskij concessions. Selenskij had so far categorically rejected a waiver of the Black Sea Peninsula Crimea or other areas incorporated by Moscow in the east of Ukraine. On Friday, Trump wrote after talks from his special envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow that the negotiations to end the war in Ukraine would be short of a result.

Kremlin emphasizes willingness to negotiate

“During yesterday’s conversation with Trump’s envoy Witkoff, confirmed Vladimir Putinthat the Russian side is willing to resume the negotiation process with Ukraine without priority, ”said Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskow in front of journalists like the Russian news agency Interfax reported. Trump had sent Witkoff to Russia for the fourth time, according to Kremlin, the meeting with Putin took around three hours this time.

So far, Putin had repeatedly emphasized his willingness to talk to Kyiv. However, he then explained that the Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskij had to withdraw his decree that prohibits such conversations. If this fell away as a prerequisite, there could be a situation as at the beginning of the war when Ukrainian and Russians negotiated directly about an end to the war.

Putin not in Rome at the funeral service

Russia was only represented at the funeral service in Rome with Minister of Culture Olga Ljubimowa. The leadership in Moscow speaks of progress in the negotiations with Washington, but points out that detailed questions should still be clarified for the termination of the war. (APA)