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Trump expresses doubts Putin is willing to end the Ukraine war, a day after saying a deal was close

ROME (AP) 鈥 President Donald Trump said Saturday that he doubts Russia's Vladimir Putin wants to end his war in Ukraine , expressing new skepticism that a peace deal can be reached soon.
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In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, right, and President Donald Trump, talk as they attend the funeral of Pope Francis in Vatican, Saturday, April 26, 2025.(Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)

ROME (AP) 鈥 said Saturday that he doubts wants to end his , expressing new skepticism that a peace deal can be reached soon. Only a day earlier, Trump had said Ukraine and Russia were 鈥 ."

"There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days,鈥 Trump said in a social media post as he flew back to the United States after attending Pope Francis鈥 funeral at the Vatican, where he met briefly with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Trump also hinted at further sanctions against Russia.

鈥淚t makes me think that maybe he doesn鈥檛 want to stop the war, he鈥檚 just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through 鈥淏anking鈥 or 鈥淪econdary Sanctions?鈥 Too many people are dying!!!鈥 Trump wrote.

The new doubts aired by Trump come as the president and top aides intensify their push to come to a deal to end the war that began in February 2022 when Russian invaded Ukraine.

The comments also sharply contrasted with Trump's positive assessment that the two sides were 鈥渧ery close to a deal鈥 after his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, had met with Putin in Moscow on Friday.

The Trump-Zelenskyy conversation on the sidelines of the pope's funeral was first face-to-face encounter between the two leaders since they argued during a at the White House in late February. That confrontation led to the White House U.S. military assistance and intelligence sharing with Ukraine.

Days after ordering the pause, Trump also announced he was 鈥渟trongly considering鈥 imposing new sanctions and tariffs on Russia to try to prod Putin to negotiate in earnest. Trump has not yet followed through on the threat 鈥 something even some of his staunch Republican allies are now pressuring him to do.

It's the second time a matter of days that Trump has rebuked Putin, whom the American president rarely publicly criticizes.

On Thursday, Trump publicly urged the Russian leader to 鈥淪TOP!鈥 after a deadly barrage of attacks on Kyiv, Ukraine鈥檚 capital.

After their brief meeting Saturday, Zelenskyy鈥檚 office had said the U.S. and Ukrainian teams were making arrangements for the leaders to talk again Saturday. But Trump went directly to the Rome airport after the funeral and boarded Air Force One for the 10-hour flight back to the United States.

Zelenskyy's spokesperson, Serhii Nykyforov, said Trump and Zelenskyy did not meet again in person because of their tight schedules.

Zelenskyy called it a 鈥済ood meeting鈥 on social media after the funeral.

鈥淲e discussed a lot one on one. Hoping for results on everything we covered. Protecting lives of our people. Full and unconditional ceasefire. Reliable and lasting peace that will prevent another war from breaking out,鈥 he said on X. 鈥淰ery symbolic meeting that has potential to become historic, if we achieve joint results. Thank you."

The White House called the discussion 鈥渧ery productive鈥 and said it would release more details later. The meeting lasted about 15 minutes inside St. Peter鈥檚 Basilica at the Vatican, where Francis often preached the need for a peaceful end to the war, just before Trump and Zelenskyy took their seats at the outdoor funeral service.

The Vatican long ago had offered to help facilitate peace talks and Francis had regularly called for peace and dialogue from the altar of the basilica. That Trump and Zelenskyy spoke privately, face to face and hunched over on chairs on the marbled floors of the pope鈥檚 home, on the day of his funeral, was perhaps a fitting way to honor his wishes.

Trump said on social media, after he arrived in Italy late Friday, that Russia and Ukraine should on ending the war.

Neither Putin nor Zelenskyy have commented Trump's calls for direct talks.

Trump has pressed both sides to quickly come to an agreement to end the war, but while Zelenskyy agreed to an American plan for an initial 30-day halt to hostilities, Russia has not signed on and has continued to strike at targets inside Ukraine.

Putin did not attend Francis' funeral. He faces an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court, which has accused him of war crimes stemming from .

Meanwhile, in a statement Friday night, Zelenskyy said 鈥渧ery significant meetings may take place鈥 in the coming days, and that an unconditional ceasefire was needed.

鈥淩eal pressure on Russia is needed so that they accept either the American proposal to cease fire and move towards peace, or our proposal 鈥 whichever one can truly work and ensure a reliable, immediate, and unconditional ceasefire, and then 鈥 a dignified peace and security guarantees,鈥 he said.

鈥淒iplomacy must succeed. And we are doing everything to make diplomacy truly meaningful and finally effective.鈥

The meeting Saturday also came shortly after Trump had issued his most definitive statement to date about the need for Ukraine to give up territory to Russia to bring the war to a close. He said in a Time magazine interview published Friday that

Russia along the Black Sea in southern Ukraine in 2014, years before the full-scale invasion that began in 2022. and other Ukrainian territory seized by Russia, but Trump considers that demand to be unrealistic.

Referring to Crimea during the interview, which was conducted at the White House on Tuesday, Trump said, 鈥渆verybody understands that it鈥檚 been with them for a long time," meaning Russia.

鈥斺赌

Madhani reported from Washington. Associated Press journalists Nicole Winfield in Vatican City and Volodymyr Yurchuk in Kyiv, Ukraine, contributed to this report.

Darlene Superville And Aamer Madhani, The Associated Press

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