U.S. President Donald Trump urged Russian President Vladimir Putin on the 27th (local time) to stop attacks on Ukraine and engage in negotiations.
Before departing from New Jersey to Washington, D.C., Trump met with reporters and said, "I hope Putin will stop the shooting and sign the agreement," according to the White House press pool.
He evaluated his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky the previous day during the funeral mass for Pope Francis, saying it was "a well-conducted, wonderful, and beautiful meeting." He added, "President Zelensky wants to do good for his country and is working very hard."
Trump also mentioned that President Zelensky requested additional military aid, stating, "He has been saying he needs more weapons for three years." He noted, "I will see what happens regarding Russia during the peace negotiations."
When asked, "Do you think President Zelensky is ready to give up Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014?" he replied, "I think so." He continued, "At the time of the annexation of Crimea, the President of the United States was Barack Obama," claiming that former President Obama should be asked, "Why did you give up Crimea?"
Previously, the U.S. appeared to pressure Ukraine by including in its ceasefire proposal the recognition of Crimea and the territories currently occupied by Russia as Russian territory.
However, recently, Trump has shown a somewhat shifting stance towards President Putin, making unusually warning remarks. After meeting with President Zelensky on the 26th, he indicated that "it seems Putin has no intention of stopping the war," hinting at the possibility of a second round of sanctions.
In this regard, Mike Waltz, White House National Security Advisor, explained during an appearance on Fox News that "President Trump intends to use both carrot and stick approaches to bring both Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table."