U.S. President Donald Trump called on Russian leader Vladimir Putin to “stop shooting” and finalize a peace agreement in Ukraine, following a high-profile meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Vatican.
Speaking to reporters at Morristown Airport before departing for Washington on Sunday, Trump emphasized his desire for an immediate end to hostilities. “I want him to stop shooting, sit down, and sign a deal,” Trump said.
Since taking office, Trump has pledged to swiftly end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — a conflict he once claimed he could resolve within a single day. Despite an active diplomatic push, tangible progress toward peace remains elusive.
Trump hinted at the existence of a U.S.-drafted peace plan, saying, “We have the confines of a deal, I believe, and I want him to sign it,” without offering further details.
The call for peace follows Trump’s brief but significant face-to-face discussion with Zelensky at the funeral of Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Basilica. This marked their first in-person meeting since a tense televised encounter at the White House in February.
Trump also suggested on Sunday that Zelensky might be prepared to concede Crimea — the Black Sea peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014 — as part of a broader peace agreement. “Oh, I think so,” Trump responded when asked if Zelensky was ready to relinquish the territory.
Russia continues to claim sovereignty over Crimea and has asserted annexation of four other regions in eastern and southern Ukraine, despite not maintaining full control over those areas.
The conflict, which escalated with Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, has devastated eastern Ukraine and claimed tens of thousands of lives.