Former US President Donald Trump, responding to a request for comment on his meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky at the Vatican, said that the Ukrainian president “wants to do something good for his country” and “is working very hard.”
Speaking of a “great” conversation with the Ukrainian president, Trump also noted that he was “surprised and very disappointed” that Russia bombed Ukraine after talks between Vladimir Putin and Steve Witkoff.
“I was very disappointed that Russia was firing the missiles,” Trump said.
In response to a question about what he expects from Putin, Trump replied: “I want him to stop shooting, sit down and sign an agreement. I think we already have the boundaries of the agreement, and I want him to sign it and end it.”
When asked by reporters: “Do you trust Putin?” Trump replied: “I’ll tell you in about two weeks.”
He added: “Two weeks or less. But you know, they’re losing a lot of people. They’re losing 3,000 to 4,000 people a week.”
Trump also said their relationship had improved since meeting with Zelensky at the Vatican: “Listen, it was never bad. We had a little argument because I disagreed with what he said, and the cameras were rolling, but I didn’t care.”
He added: “He’s in a tough, tough spot. He is fighting a much larger force.”
Trump noted that Zelensky had asked him for weapons, saying, “We need more weapons,” but “he’s been saying that for three years,” the US president continued.
Trump also recalled that the United States had provided Ukraine with $350 billion to protect it from Russian invasion.
Comparing Zelensky’s meeting at the Vatican with his meeting in the Oval Office in February, Trump said: “I think he understands the situation and wants to make a deal.”
