On Sunday, April 27, 2025, President Donald Trump, speaking in New Jersey, called on Russia to cease its attacks on Ukraine, expressing frustration with ongoing aggression, while U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that the Trump administration might abandon peace efforts if Russia and Ukraine fail to make progress soon, as reported by Daily Post, India Today, and PBS News. Trump’s remarks followed a one-on-one meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday, April 26, at the Vatican during Pope Francis’s funeral, aimed at reviving stalled negotiations to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, per Reuters and ABC News.
Trump described the Vatican meeting as “very productive,” noting Zelenskyy appeared “calmer” and open to a deal, saying, “I think he understands the picture, and I think he wants to make a deal.” Zelenskyy called it a “good” and “very symbolic” exchange, potentially “historic” if it yields results, emphasizing a “full and unconditional ceasefire” and “lasting peace,” per PBS News and India Today. The meeting, held in a Vatican basilica, marked their first encounter since a contentious February 2025 Oval Office clash that derailed a U.S.-Ukraine minerals deal and strained relations, per NBC News and CBS News. X posts, such as @RodDMartin and @Azariel91, highlighted the meeting’s focus on a ceasefire and peace, though @cwebbonline questioned Trump’s motives, citing the funeral’s inappropriate setting.
Trump rebuked Russian President Vladimir Putin for recent missile strikes on civilian areas, stating on Truth Social, “There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas… It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along,” and hinted at “Banking” or “Secondary Sanctions” to pressure Russia, per India Today and PBS News. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in a CBS Face the Nation interview aired Sunday, defended the strikes, claiming they targeted military sites, not civilians, per Daily Post. Zelenskyy, on Telegram, reported nearly 70 Russian attacks on Sunday, accusing the global community of insufficient pressure on Moscow, per India Today.
Rubio, appearing on NBC’s Meet the Press, stressed urgency, saying, “It needs to happen soon. We cannot continue to dedicate time and resources to this effort if it’s not going to come to fruition,” echoing earlier warnings from Paris on April 18, where he signaled the U.S. might “move on” within days if no progress emerged, per The Guardian, The New York Times, and Reuters. The administration’s frustration stems from stalled talks, exacerbated by Russia’s continued attacks, including a deadly Kyiv strike on April 24 killing 12, and Ukraine’s refusal to cede Crimea, illegally annexed by Russia in 2014, per CNN and NPR. Zelenskyy’s insistence on a full ceasefire before negotiations and rejection of territorial concessions, citing Ukraine’s constitution, has clashed with U.S. proposals for a “land-for-peace” deal, per The Washington Post and NBC News.
The Vatican meeting followed a collapsed London summit on April 23, downgraded after Rubio and European ministers withdrew, with only lower-level talks led by U.S. envoy Keith Kellogg proceeding, per The Washington Post and DW. Ukraine’s deputy prime minister, Yulia Svyrydenko, rejected “surrender” disguised as peace, while Russia demanded sanctions relief and Ukraine’s withdrawal from four annexed regions, per NPR and The Guardian. Trump’s push for a swift resolution, tied to his campaign pledge to end the war, faces hurdles, with @RealJakeBroe on X noting Ukraine and Europe’s rejection of Trump’s “final offer” demanding Russia be treated as the aggressor, per.
The U.S. has brokered partial ceasefires, like a 30-day halt on energy infrastructure strikes, but both sides accuse each other of violations, per ABC News. Trump’s team, including envoys Steve Witkoff and Kellogg, continues direct talks with Russia, with Witkoff scheduled for Moscow on April 29, per The Washington Post. European allies, wary of Trump’s perceived pro-Russia tilt, push for a balanced approach, with France’s Emmanuel Macron describing Paris talks as a “positive process,” per Politico. As Trump nears his 100th day in office, the administration’s threat to exit talks raises fears of reduced U.S. aid to Kyiv, though no clear policy shift has been confirmed, per The Guardian.
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