The first pegs for peace in Ukraineso invoked by Pope Francismay have opened on the day of the last greeting to the pontiff, a San Pietro. Donald Trump And Volodymyr Zelenskytwo months after the stormy meeting at the oval study, they found themselves face to face among the naves of the Basilica, just before the start of the funeral of Bergoglio: a 15 -minute interview, called “constructive” by both sides, immortalized by a photo that has gone around the world.
In Vatican The Ukrainian leader was the protagonist of another symbolic shot, together with Trump, Emmanuel Macron And Keir Starmerthen he also met Giorgia Meloni And Ursula von der leyento try to reappear the transatlantic alliance alongside Kiev. And something actually seems to move.
The Ukrainians on the plate put a counter -proposal to the plane of the White houseto obtain guarantees of security at the end of the war, receiving openings from Washington. As for the RussiaThe Kremlin announced that he had resumed complete control of the Region of Kurskand in the light of this turning point, he said he was ready to resume the interviews with the Ukrainians “without pre -contracts”.
The heads of state and government arrived at Rome For the Pope’s funeral, even in respect of the solemnity of the event, they had the opportunity for short exchanges of views on some of the main crises still open. Zelenskyafter putting his presence until the last, he managed to reach the capital to honor the pontiff and to find the western partners, especially Trump. The image is that of two leaders sitting in front of the other, very close, which discuss animatedly with serious expression.
At the end, both parties have however said they are satisfied. “Very productive”, it was the comment of the White house. “A symbolic encounter that could become historian if the results on the points discussed were achieved,” said Zelensky. If nothing else, there was a rapprochement after that dramatic February 28, when the Ukrainian president had been hunted by the White House.
Compared to the knots on the table the New York Times made the Ukrainian position filter, which aims to mitigate the American proposal, considered too favorable to Fly. In particular, Kiev asks not to limit the size of his army and that a European security contingent supported by the USA is deployed in Ukrainian territory to discourage future Russian attacks. In this perspective, the adhesion shortly to the Born It no longer seems a priority: Zelensky himself admitted that at this stage you have to be “pragmatic”.
And Washington’s response on security guarantees would have been positive. Also according to journalistic sources, the US offered themselves to provide intelligence and logistical support to a European contingent of Peacekeeper. Going to the requests of London and Paris, who would be leader of this military mission in the context of the coalition of the willing.
About the RussiaInstead, Trump sent conflicting signals. On the one hand he welcomed the results of the last meeting a Fly Between Steve Witkoff And Vladimir Putinclaiming that the agreement between the two parties in conflict would be one step away. But then he insinuated that Putin is “making fun of him”, wating on the truce, and has returned to threaten him of new sanctions. To complicate things there is also the question of the territories. Because Americans would be willing to leave everything to Russia, by Crimea to the other four occupied Ukrainian regions. While Kiev, at least on paper, is not willing to concessions.
Zelenskybefore any negotiation, first of all asks for a complete fire. And on this point he obtained the bank of the European allies in the talks in Rome on the sidelines of the Pope’s funeral. “Moscow shows concretely that he wants peace”, were the words of the premier Melons after meeting the Ukrainian leader. “Now it’s up to President Putin,” the French president echoed her Macronreporting that “a convergence work” was started among the willing, Kiev and Washington to arrive at “a solid respite”. THE’EUFinally, he reiterated the “support” to Ukraine “at the negotiation table”, the president of the Commission assured Kiev von der leyen.
Moscow: the Kursk region completely free
Fly claimed to have completely freed the region of Kurska development that could remove one of the obstacles to the opening of negotiations with theUkraine. Kiev’s army denied the news, but his forces now controlled only a few bags of territory near the border that had passed over in August last year.
“Kiev’s adventure has completely failed,” announced the Russian president Vladimir Putinafter receiving a report from the Chief of Staff, Valery Gerasimovwho informed him of the reconquest of the last village in the hands of the Ukrainians, that of Gornal. In a video call with the head of the Kremlinbroadcast by the state television, Gerasimov also admitted the intervention of soldiers for the first time North Korean In the fighting, stating that they behaved with “heroism, high professionalism, resistance and courage”.
There North Korea and the Russia They had signed a strategic partnership agreement in June 2024 which provides for mutual military assistance in case of aggression to one of the two countries, but so far they had not officially confirmed the deployment of North Korean soldiers in Kursk.
The Ukrainian army denied the Russian announcement calling it a “propaganda maneuver” and stating that the troops of Kiev they continue to fight in Kurskeven if he admitted that the situation is “difficult”.
In their incursion, Ukrainian troops had come to occupy no more than a few hundred square kilometers in a region that has 30,000. But the attack had however represented the first occupation of Russian territory by enemy forces starting from Second World WarAnd Putin He had made it clear that he would not accept negotiations with Kiev until his troops had been rejected across the border.
Now the spokesperson for Kremlin, Dmitry Peskovsaid that in his meeting yesterday at Kremlin With the special American correspondent Steve Witkoff, Putin He assured that he is “ready to resume the negotiating process with Ukraine without pre -contract”. But it has been for some time now that the president makes such declarations, without seeing concrete openings by Fly. And also the spokesman underlined it, saying that “Putin said it repeatedly”.
The expulsion of Ukrainian troops from Kursk – to which second Gerasimov The elimination of “teams of sabotitioners” had been accompanied by infiltrating the nearby region of Belgorod – it could indeed put Fly in the position to kick off new offensives.
Putin He said that in the operation of Kursk The Ukrainians have undergone “tremendous losses” among their chosen troops, and therefore “the complete route” that have undergone “creates the conditions for further successful operations of the Russian troops in other areas of the front”. As the first move, the General announced Gerasimovthe forces of Fly they will try to advance in the bordering Ukrainian region of Sumy “To create a safety area along the border” already desired by Putin. According to the Chief of Staff, four settlements have already been conquered by the Russians, who now would have the control of “an area of 90 square kilometers”.