President Donald Trump has disclosed details regarding his recent conversation with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky during their meeting at the Vatican, where both attended the funeral of Pope Francis, Fox News reports.
The meeting, their first face-to-face encounter since a contentious Oval Office meeting in February, had been shrouded in secrecy.
During a NewsNation town hall held Tuesday evening, Trump participated by phone and revealed the central message he conveyed to Zelensky.
“I was telling him that it’s a very good thing if we can produce a deal, that you sign it, because Russia is much bigger and much stronger,” Trump stated.
Over the weekend, Trump alluded to the meeting, telling reporters that the conversation touched upon the US potentially providing more weapons to Ukraine.
“He told me that he needs more weapons, but he’s been saying that for three years,” Trump said. “We’re going to see what happens – I want to see what happens with respect to Russia. Because Russia, I’ve been surprised and disappointed – very disappointed – that they did the bombing of those places after discussions.”
In addition to discussing weapons, Trump suggested that Zelensky might be willing to make a significant concession to secure peace with Russia.
“I think Zelensky will be willing to give up Crimea in order to secure a peace deal,” Trump added.
Russia’s claim of Crimea has been a major point of contention in negotiations, with Zelensky previously indicating he would not agree to any deal that involves relinquishing the territory.
The latest news in your social feeds
Subscribe to our social media platforms to stay tuned